Safe and effective medication utilization in pediatric patients requiring rehabilitation services during the Coronavirus pandemic of 2019.

ABSTRACT

The role of pediatric rehabilitation providers during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID) pandemic of 2020 highlighted the need for improved knowledge about medications utilized in pediatric patients. Pediatric patients with cerebral palsy who were previously receiving botulinum toxin injections on a regular basis went prolonged periods of time between injections, and patients who have intrathecal baclofen pumps were called in to get refills with different intervals. The medically complex patients treated by rehabilitation providers were limited in the type and scope of care they received, and some may have developed adverse outcomes related to this delay in care. As a Pediatric Physiatrist who has advanced training and significant research experience within the realm of Clinical Pharmacology, I have seen this pandemic demonstrate the Sisyphean challenge of continuing appropriate tone management in patients with cerebral palsy while ensuring those patients with neuromuscular conditions maintain their highest level of function. Both of these clinical problems received significant attention within this issue, which I hope allows providers taking care of these populations a reference point to take to the bedside.