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4CPS-020 Analysis of ambulatory and hospital treatment of patients with beta blocking agents at the division of paediatrics of tertiary hospital in years 2022 and 2023

ejhpharm · 2026-03-18 · canonical JSON source

16 visible annotations · policy: published · automated confidence ≥ 75.00%

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Background and Importance In one European country, only two beta blocking agents are approved for use in children: metoprolol for arterial hypertension and propranolol for arrhythmias and haemangiomas. The use of these medications for other indications, or the use of any other beta blocking agents in paediatric patients, is considered off-label. As a result, comprehensive information on suitable dosing and dosage forms for this population remains limited.Aim and Objectives This retrospective study was conducted to analyse the use of drugs from ATC group C07 (beta blocking agents) in both ambulatory and hospital patients treated at the Division of Paediatrics in a tertiary hospital during 2022 and 2023. Patients were included in the study if they received at least one beta blocking medicine during this time period of the study.Material and Methods Data were collected from the hospital information system. They included patient age, duration of beta blocking therapy, the specific drug from ATC group C07, prescribed dose, dosing interval and the main diagnosis classified according to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 10th Revision (ICD-10). Descriptive variables were reported as proportions or frequencies; numerical variables were summarised using the median, minimum, and maximum values.Results During the study period, 205 patients received at least one beta blocking agent, most frequently bisoprolol (36.9%) and propranolol (37.3%). Propranolol was more commonly administered to younger patients (≤11 years of age), whereas bisoprolol was predominantly prescribed to older children (>11 years of age). Beta blocking agents were most often administered in the form of an oral suspension (49%) or tablet (34%). Approximately 60% of the medications were prepared by the hospital’s galenic laboratory. The primary treatment indications included congenital malformations of the circulatory system (17.6%) and tachycardia (17.1%). Overall, 80.6% of beta blocker use was off-label.Conclusion and Relevance Beta blocker use in the paediatric population was characterised by frequent off-label prescribing, with clear age-related preferences in medicine selection (propranolol in younger children and bisoprolol in older ones). Most formulations required individualised preparation, often by the hospital’s galenic laboratory, reflecting the limited availability of paediatric-appropriate dosage forms.Conflict of Interest No conflict of interest