Diagnostic Value of Provocative Test by Insulin Combined with Clonidine for Growth Hormone Deficiency in Children

To evaluate the diagnostic value of provocative test by insulin combined with clonidine for growth hormone deficiency (GHD) during childhood Eighty children underwent a provocative test with insulin(0.075U/Kg, intravenous) combined with clonidine (4μg/kg, orally). Among them, 40 children underwent clonidine provocative test, 40 children underwent insulin tolerance test (ITT) in another day. The specificity of ITT+clonidine test (74%, 88%) was remarkably higher than that of ITT (48%) or clonidine test (65%). ITT+clonidine test had a better accuracy (75%, 85%) than that of ITT (63%) or clonidine test (73%) We conclude that the combined clonidine+insulin test is a feasible, reliable, convenient, time saving, and safe tool for evaluation of the growth hormone (GH) axes than the clonidine test or ITT.