The safety of atropine premedication in children with Down's syndrome

Forty-five operative procedures were performed in 32 patients with Down's syndrome at the Royal Alexandra Hospital for Children, Sydney in a single year recently. Atropine premedication was administered to 25 patients with Down's syndrome on 38 occasions. Three dosage regimes of atropine were used: 20 micrograms/kg, 12 micrograms/kg, both intramuscularly, and 10 micrograms/kg intravenously. There was no statistically significant difference in the alteration of heart rate for the three dosage groups of atropine used when children with Down's syndrome were compared with weight-matched control children having similar operative procedures performed.