1043-3155 Pediatr Neurol Briefs pedneurbriefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs Pediatric Neurology Briefs Pediatr Neurol Briefs 2166-6482 1043-3155 2166-3155 Pediatric Neurology Briefs Publishers Chicago, IL, USA PNB-8-73 10.15844/pedneurbriefs-8-10-1 Attention and Behavior Disorders Neurology Pediatrics Nervous System Diseases Child Development Brain Diseases Neurosurgery Child Infant Stimulant Medication in Teenagers http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0173-7931 Millichap J. Gordon MD 1 2 * Division of Neurology, Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL Correspondence: Dr. J. Gordon Millichap, E-mail: jgmillichap@northwestern.edu 10 1994 01 06 2016 8 10 73 73 Copyright: © 1994 The Author(s) 1994 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. The increased rate of stimulant treatment for hyperactive/inattentive students in secondary schools

Results of biennial surveys, 1975 - 1993, by school nurses of medication use for hyperactive/inattentive (HA/I) public elementary and secondary school students are reported from the Baltimore County Health Department and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.

 Biennial Surveys Hyperactive/Inattentive Methylphenidate

Results of biennial surveys, 1975 - 1993, by school nurses of medication use for hyperactive/inattentive (HA/I) public elementary and secondary school students are reported from the Baltimore County Health Department and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Over a 10 to 20 year period, the rate of medication use rose from 1.07 to 3.58% in elementary schools, 0.59 to 2.98% in middle schools, and 0.22 to 0.70% in high schools. The average rate increase per year was 15% (elementary), 28% (middle), and 31% (high school). One-third of all public school students on medication for HA/I in the 1990s were attending secondary schools. The female to male ratio of medicated students in secondary schools narrowed from 1:12 in 1980 to 1:6 in 1993. The majority (97%) of students had treatment initiated in the elementary school at 7 to 8 years of age. Methylphenidate was the medication prescribed in 90 to 95% of the total. [1]

COMMENT. Physician and parent concerns about possible substance abuse and adverse effects of stimulant medication prescribed for teenagers appear to be lessening. This survey demonstrates that the continuation of methylphenidate treatment into adolescence is favored with increasing frequency. Contrary to popular belief, children with ADDH do not generally outgrow their symptoms at 12 years of age. The increased rate of motor vehicle crashes among adolescent and young adult drivers with ADDH is one factor suggested as a reason for continued therapy. (see Progress in Pediatric Neurology Vols I and II, Millichap, Ed, PNB Publ, 1991 and 1994).

 Safer DJ Krager JM The increased rate of stimulant treatment for hyperactive/inattentive students in secondary schools Pediatrics 1994 Oct 94 4 Pt 1 462 4 7936853