The Feasibility of the Repeated Administration of Acetylsalicylic Acid Mini-Tablets to Children with Kawasaki Disease: A Pilot Study
<b>Background/Objectives</b>: Mini-tablets are a novel pediatric dosage form designed to mask drug taste and facilitate easier administration. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of uncoated acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) mini-tablets in Japanese children with Kawasaki disease (KD) aged 1 to 4 years. <b>Methods</b>: A retrospective case series study of three pediatric patients with KD treated with ASA mini-tablets (3 mm diameter, 10 mg) was conducted at Showa University Hospital. ASA mini-tablets were administered for up to 68 days. Caregivers recorded daily medication intake and any issues in medication logbooks. <b>Results</b>: All three patients successfully took 100% of the prescribed doses. No adverse events related to mini-tablet ingestion were reported. Patients could take the mini-tablets for extended periods (63-68 days) as part of their KD treatment. <b>Conclusions</b>: ASA mini-tablets showed potential acceptability in this small cohort of pediatric patients with KD. This study represents the first investigation into the acceptability of mini-tablets containing active ingredients in Japanese pediatric patients. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings and evaluate long-term safety and efficacy.
Authors
- Takehiko Sambe (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6730-7873)
- Tsutomu Harada (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4617-0019)
- Noriko Hida (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7481-597X)
- Akihiro Nakamura (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7938-5254)
- Fuka Serizawa
Institutions
- SHOWA Medical University (JP)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Pharmaceutics
- Published
- 2025-03-05
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17030333
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Kawasaki Disease and Coronary Complications
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.01
Funders
- Japan Society for the Promotion of Science