Prucalopride for Treatment of Upper Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Children.

Background: Upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common in pediatrics, and few prokinetics for children exist. The goal of this study was to determine the efficacy of prucalopride for treatment of upper GI symptoms and feeding difficulties in children.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients prescribed prucalopride for upper GI symptoms at a single tertiary care center from July 2019 to January 2021. Demographic data, the indication for prucalopride, comorbidities, and feeding data were recorded. The primary outcome was improvement in the primary upper GI symptom at first follow-up after prucalopride initiation. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to assess for factors associated with improvement.

Results: The final study population included 71 patients who received prucalopride for treatment of upper GI symptoms. The most common indications were nausea (44%), feeding difficulties (20%), and reflux (11%). Patients had a median age of 16.7 years (range 1.9-21.8 years), and they had received 4 ± 4.8 years of care in our GI clinic and trialed 3.0 ± 2.0 other GI medications by the time of the prucalopride prescription. At follow-up 3.6 ± 2.9 months after the prucalopride was prescribed, 46 patients (65%) had symptomatic improvement of the upper GI symptom. Improvement was more likely in patients with enteral tubes (p = 0.04), pulmonary comorbidities (p = 0.006), and neurologic comorbidities (p = 0.02). Amongst patients with feeding difficulties, 79% of patients showed improvements in oral or tube feeding.

Conclusions: In this sample of children treated for refractory upper GI symptoms at a single tertiary care center, patients showed improvements in symptoms like nausea, reflux, and feeding difficulties after starting prucalopride.