Cerebral Palsy Essay Paper

Cerebral Palsy Essay Paper

Cerebral Palsy Essay Paper

Management of Cerebral Palsy with Botulinum Toxin

The management of cerebral palsy is multimodal with various interventions to improve the functional status as well as improve the quality of life of the affected individual. Pharmaco-therapy is one of the approaches to the management of cerebral palsy-related motor symptoms. Botulinum Toxin type A is one of the evidence-based treatment recommendations for the treatment of cerebral palsy. It is effective in reducing spasticity by reducing muscle activity in individuals with cerebral palsy and enhancing gait (Multani et al., 2019). Maximal gait improvement may require adjunctive measures such as serial casting. The drug is administered through cycles of intramuscular injections into large muscle groups such as the gastrocnemius muscle.

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Botulinum toxin primarily acts at the neuromuscular junction to cause the desired effects but other sites of action include sympathetic and parasympathetic nerve endings. Its mechanism of action is the blockade of neural transmission through the inhibition of acetylcholine release from the presynaptic junction (Nestor et al., 2020). It selectively and irreversibly binds to acetylcholine receptors thus reducing cholinergic activity with resultant muscle weakness and paralysis.

The use of botulinum toxin, like most pharmacologic agents, is associated with certain side effects.  These include pain, swelling or bruising at the injection site, headaches, flu-like symptoms, muscle weakness, respiratory failure, dysphagia, paralysis, and allergic reactions (Witmanowski et., 2020). Monitoring for these adverse reactions is done and measures such as antitoxin administration and symptomatic management are given for serious complications. Extreme measures such as mechanical ventilation may be necessary in case of respiratory failure.

Complications and adverse reactions can occur following interactions of botulinum toxin with other agents. These drugs include aminoglycosides, cyclosporine, quinidine, magnesium sulfate, lincosamide, and muscle relaxantssuch as succinylcholine (Witmanowski et al., 2020). Care should be taken to avoid the potentiation of the action of botulinum toxin. Effects of drug interactions should be managed appropriately including cessation of treatment when necessary.

References

Multani, I., Manji, J., Hastings-Ison, T., Khot, A., & Graham, K. (2019). Botulinum Toxin in the Management of Childrenwith Cerebral Palsy. Pediatric Drugs, 21(4), 261-281. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40272-019-00344-8

Nestor, M., Arnold, D., & Fischer, D. (2020). The mechanisms of action and use of botulinum neurotoxin type A in aesthetics: Key Clinical Postulates II. Journal Of Cosmetic Dermatology, 19(11), 2785-2804. https://doi.org/10.1111/jocd.13702

Witmanowski, H., & Błochowiak, K. (2020). The whole truth about botulinum toxin – a review. Advances In Dermatology And Allergology, 37(6), 853-861. https://doi.org/10.5114/ada.2019.82795

Part 1: Explain the pathophysiology changes that may occur with Cerebral Palsy. What patient education would need to be included related to this disorder? Make sure that you select a different medical condition than your peers. Include the name of the medical condition in the subject line so that the medical condition can be followed. Include your references in APA style.
Part 2: Select a medication used in evidence-based treatment guidelines for the condition chosen in the first discussion question. Share the mechanism of action of this medication and hints for monitoring, side effects, and drug interactions of which one should be aware. Make sure that you select a different medication than your peers. Include the name of the medication in the subject line so that the medications can be followed. Include your references in APA style.