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Diagnostic dilemma in a child with congenital heart disease on sildenafil

Syed Ahmed Zaki1, Deepak Dadge, Shujaath Asif

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College & General Hospital, Sion, Mumbai 400 022, India.

Indian Journal of Pharmacology
|May 6, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Sildenafil treatment for infant pulmonary hypertension may cause side effects mimicking heart failure. Discontinuation of sildenafil led to dramatic improvement in a case of infant supracardiac total anomalous venous connection.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Neonatal Medicine
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Sildenafil is a common treatment for pulmonary hypertension in infants with congenital heart disease.
  • Observed side effects of sildenafil can resemble congestive heart failure symptoms in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report a case of a two-month-old infant experiencing adverse effects attributed to sildenafil.
  • To highlight potential diagnostic challenges in differentiating drug side effects from disease progression.

Main Methods:

  • Case presentation of a two-month-old infant with supracardiac total anomalous venous connection and pulmonary hypertension.
  • Clinical observation of symptoms including severe sweating and tachycardia following sildenafil initiation.

Main Results:

  • The infant developed severe sweating and tachycardia after starting sildenafil therapy.
  • These symptoms resolved dramatically upon discontinuation of sildenafil, indicating a probable drug-related adverse event.

Conclusions:

  • Sildenafil therapy can present with side effects that mimic congestive heart failure in infants.
  • Careful monitoring and consideration of drug-induced side effects are crucial in managing pediatric patients with pulmonary hypertension.

Keywords:
Adverse effectscongenital heart diseasepulmonary hypertensionsildenafil

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