Abstract
A previous report indicated abnormally rapid heart rates in patients with Down's syndrome given atropine, and the possibility of a potentially dangerous idiosyncrasy to atropine in these patients has been raised. The heart rate response to atropine in doses of 30 to 60 μg/kg was studied in 14 children and 11 adults with Down's syndrome, using for control subjects 7 children and 9 adults with mental retardation not due to Down's syndrome. The heart rate response to atropine was similar in the patients with and without Down's syndrome. Peak heart rates occurred at 25 μg/kg of atropine after an initial slowing with 5 to 7 μg/kg. The heart rates of the subjects with Down's syndrome tended to be lower than those of the controls after propranolol was given in addition to the atropine, but the significance of this was not known. Ophthalmic atropine produced a more rapid mydriasis in the Down's syndrome patients, but the degree and duration of the pupillary dilatation was the same as in the control subjects.
Full text
PDF
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- BERG J. M., BRANDON M. W., KIRMAN B. H. Atropine in mongolism. Lancet. 1959 Sep 26;2(7100):441–442. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(59)90423-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Jose A. D. Effect of combined sympathetic and parasympathetic blockade on heart rate and cardiac function in man. Am J Cardiol. 1966 Sep;18(3):476–478. doi: 10.1016/0002-9149(66)90073-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Keele D. K., Richards C., Brown J., Marshall J. Catecholamine metabolism in Down's syndrome. Am J Ment Defic. 1969 Jul;74(1):125–129. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- MCKUSICK V. A. Symposium on inborn errors of metabolism: mechanisms in genetic diseases of man. Am J Med. 1957 May;22(5):676–686. doi: 10.1016/0002-9343(57)90119-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- O'BRIEN D., HAAKE M. W., BRAID B. Atropine sensitivity and serotonin in mongolism. Am J Dis Child. 1960 Dec;100:873–874. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1960.04020040875012. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- PRIEST J. H. Atropine response of the eyes in mongolism. Am J Dis Child. 1960 Dec;100:869–872. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1960.04020040871010. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Rosner F., Ong B. H., Paine R. S., Mahanand D. Biochemical differentiation of trisomic Down's syndrome (mongolism) from that due to translocation. N Engl J Med. 1965 Dec 16;273(25):1356–1361. doi: 10.1056/NEJM196512162732503. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Sutton J. R., Cole A., Gunning J., Hickie J. B., Seldon W. A. Control of heart-rate in healthy young men. Lancet. 1967 Dec 30;2(7531):1398–1400. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(67)93028-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]