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Published on: February 18, 2022
Pediatric heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, a review
Sophie Quennelle1,2,3, Damien Bonnet1,3
1Pediatric Cardiology Department, Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris, France.
Insights
Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is poorly understood in children. This review explores its causes, diagnosis challenges, and prognostic factors in pediatric patients.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Diastolic dysfunction impairs heart filling, potentially causing heart failure even with normal systolic function.
- Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is common in adults but underrecognized in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the causes and prognostic factors of HFpEF in children.
- To discuss diagnostic challenges and provide a simplified diagnostic algorithm for pediatric HFpEF.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on pediatric HFpEF.
- Analysis of underlying etiologies and associated pulmonary hypertension.
- Examination of diagnostic difficulties and proposed solutions.
Main Results:
- Causes of pediatric HFpEF are diverse and differ from adults.
- Pulmonary hypertension profiles are associated with this condition.
- Diagnosis in children presents unique challenges.
Conclusions:
- Understanding pediatric HFpEF requires addressing its unique causes and diagnostic hurdles.
- A simplified diagnostic algorithm can aid clinical practice.
- Further research is needed to improve recognition and management of HFpEF in children.
Abstract:
Diastolic dysfunction refers to a structural or functional abnormality of the left ventricle, resulting in impaired filling of the heart. Severe diastolic dysfunction can lead to congestive heart failure even when the left ventricle systolic function is normal. Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) accounts for nearly half of the hospitalizations for acute heart failure in the adult population but the clinical recognition and understanding of HFpEF in children is poor. The condition is certainly much less frequent than in the adult population but the confirmatory diagnosis of diastolic dysfunction in children is also challenging. The underlying causes of HFpEF in children are diverse and differ from the main cause in adults. This review addresses the underlying causes and prognostic factors of HFpEF in children. We describe the pulmonary hypertension profiles associated with this cardiac condition. We discuss diagnosis difficulties in clinical practice, and we provide a simplified diagnostic algorithm for HFpEF in children.
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