Contemporary management of pediatric heart failure

The spectrum of causes of pediatric heart failure is broad and differs significantly from that seen in most adult patients. Left-to-right shunts and outflow obstruction lesions are responsible for a large number of pediatric cases of heart failure. Most of these are now treated successfully with surgery or catheter intervention. Medical therapy is the mainstay of care for myocardial disorders with diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, beta-blockade and cardiac glycosides. There are few prospective trials of these agents in a pediatric population, but extrapolated data support their use in children. In addition to medical therapy, interventions such as automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators and resynchronization therapy have become increasingly common in pediatric heart disease, as well as in adult patients with congenital heart disease.