Discontinuation of paediatric injectable digoxin: A loss for optimal drug therapy in children

Abstract

In early 2015, the paediatric formulation of injectable digoxin (50 μg/mL) was discontinued in Canada. The only remaining injectable formulation is five times more concentrated. This recent event has major implications for paediatric hospitals all over the country. The use of a more concentrated formulation is of particular concern in low-weight infants because the required volumes of digoxin are almost impossible to draw precisely. Such a situation is problematic because of the narrow therapeutic index of digoxin. There are different ways to deal with this inconvenient situation; however, none is as efficient or safe for infants as the discontinued formulation. The authors believe it remains imperative that patients requiring intravenous digoxin be treated with the safest and most efficient formulation possible, regardless of their age or size.