61st Annual Meeting

October 18 - 25, 2014

Clinical Case Conference 8 (open)

Clozapine Treatment in Children: Managing the Challenges

The use of clozapine in the pediatric population is relatively recent, but empirical data supports its superior efficacy in treatment-refractory schizophrenia in this age group. However, due mostly to its complex side effect profile, its use in children and adolescents occurs with less frequency and much later in the course of illness than recommended by clinical guidelines. This CCC provides the child and adolescent psychiatrist with information on the clinical indications of clozapine use in children and adolescents, reviews general treatment strategies, and discusses effective ways to manage the challenges of clozapine treatment in this population, in particular the management of clozapine-induced fever.  National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) data on clozapine use and the findings of the Adolescent and School-age Psychiatric Intervention Research Program (ASPIRE) are presented.