November 2, 2010European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry380 citationsOpen Access
European guidelines on managing adverse effects of medication for ADHD
Key Result
ADHD medications are associated with various adverse effects, but many appear minimal in impact or difficult to distinguish from risks in untreated populations, highlighting the need for careful clinical monitoring.
PICO
P
Population
A review by the European Network for Hyperkinetic Disorders examining the safety and adverse effects of ADHD medications in children and adolescents.
I
Intervention / Comparator
ADHD medications (methylphenidate, dexamfetamine, atomoxetine) vs Untreated populations or placebo
O
Primary Outcome
Adverse effects (cardiac, suicide-related, growth, sleep, tics, substance abuse)
Limitations
- Heterogeneity in information reported prevented meta-analysis
- Lack of contemporary-standard information for older medications
- Potential under-reporting of adverse events
Abstract
The safety of ADHD medications is not fully known. Concerns have arisen about both a lack of contemporary-standard information about medications first licensed several decades ago, and signals of possible harm arising from more recently developed medications. These relate to both relatively minor adverse effects and extremely serious issues such as sudden cardiac death and suicidality. A guidelines group of the European Network for Hyperkinetic Disorders (EUNETHYDIS) has therefore reviewed the literature, recruited renowned clinical subspecialists and consulted as a group to examine these concerns. Some of the effects examined appeared to be minimal in impact or difficult to distinguish from risk to untreated populations. However, several areas require further study to allow a more precise understanding of these risks.