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Diagnosis and Management of Pediatric Heart Failure

Felina Mille1,2, Danielle Burstein3

  • 1Division of Cardiac Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA. millef@chop.edu.

Indian Journal of Pediatrics
|March 16, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric heart failure, a serious condition in children, requires prompt recognition and management. This review focuses on heart failure in children with structurally normal hearts, covering presentation, diagnosis, and treatment.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiology
  • Critical Care Medicine
  • Cardiovascular Research

Background:

  • Heart failure is a significant cause of mortality and high resource utilization in both adults and children.
  • Pediatric heart failure, often presenting similarly to common childhood illnesses, necessitates acute care clinician awareness.
  • It can arise from various cardiac conditions, including congenital heart disease, cardiomyopathy, valve disease, and myocarditis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the clinical presentation, diagnosis, and management of pediatric heart failure.
  • To specifically address heart failure in pediatric patients with structurally normal hearts.
  • To summarize current knowledge on presentation patterns, etiologies, diagnostics, and acute/chronic management.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review focusing on pediatric heart failure.
  • Synthesis of information on presentation, etiology, diagnosis, and management.
  • Emphasis on cases involving structurally normal hearts.

Main Results:

  • Pediatric heart failure presents diverse clinical manifestations that can mimic other childhood illnesses.
  • Early diagnosis and stabilization are critical for improving outcomes.
  • Management strategies encompass both acute and chronic care, tailored to the specific etiology.

Conclusions:

  • Understanding the nuances of pediatric heart failure is crucial for effective clinical management.
  • This review provides a comprehensive overview for clinicians managing this high-morbidity syndrome in children.
  • Further research into specific etiologies and management protocols for structurally normal hearts is warranted.

Keywords:
CardiomyopathyHeart failure managementPediatric heart failure

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