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Pharmacologic Control of Blood Pressure in Infants and Children

Joseph D Tobias1, Aymen Naguib2, Janet Simsic3

  • 1Departments of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University, 700 Children's Drive, Columbus, OH, 43205, USA. Joseph.Tobias@Nationwidechildrens.org.

Pediatric Cardiology
|September 11, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Managing blood pressure in children during surgery is crucial. This review details common medications like sodium nitroprusside and nitroglycerin used for perioperative hypertension control in pediatric patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Anesthesiology
  • Cardiovascular Pharmacology

Background:

  • Blood pressure fluctuations are frequent in infants and children during the perioperative period.
  • Causes of perioperative hypertension include renal failure, fluid overload, and sympathetic nervous system activation.
  • Controlling blood pressure is vital to prevent end-organ damage and manage bleeding risks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review commonly used pharmacologic agents for perioperative blood pressure management in pediatric patients.
  • To provide dosing regimens and adverse effect profiles for these agents.
  • To discuss previously published clinical trials and review their efficacy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of clinical trials and pharmacologic data.
  • Analysis of commonly used antihypertensive agents in pediatric perioperative care.
  • Synthesis of information on dosing, efficacy, and adverse effects.

Main Results:

  • Identified key pharmacologic agents including sodium nitroprusside, nitroglycerin, beta-blockers, fenoldopam, and calcium channel blockers.
  • Detailed dosing guidelines and potential adverse effects for each agent.
  • Summarized efficacy data from existing clinical studies.

Conclusions:

  • Several pharmacologic options exist for managing perioperative hypertension in children.
  • Careful consideration of agent-specific profiles is necessary for optimal patient outcomes.
  • Further research may refine best practices for pediatric perioperative blood pressure control.

Keywords:
Blood pressureCalcium channel antagonistHypertensionNitroglycerinSodium nitroprussideβ-adrenergic antagonist

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