Therapeutic drug monitoring of children and adolescents treated with escitalopram in daily clinical practice

Escitalopram, the (S)-enantiomer of racemic citalopram, is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor used off-label in the acute and maintenance treatment of Major Depressive Disorder and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Similar to previous analyses within the multi-center 'TDM-VIGIL' project that focused on specific psychotropic medications, this contribution reports the results of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of escitalopram in youth, examining the association between steady-state blood concentrations, dose, and clinical positive and negative effects. The study looked into predictors of response to escitalopram using the Clinical Global Impression scale and the Pediatric Adverse Event Rating Scale as outcome measures. A tentative reference concentration level in this age group will be compared with adult-specific ranges. Additionally, comparisons with other antidepressants will be made in terms of pharmacokinetic profiles. The presentation will conclude by contextualizing the TDM of psychotropic medication in daily clinical practice as decision-making and monitoring tools, particularly in vulnerable populations and complex clinical scenarios.

Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
12. März 2024