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Updated: Jul 18, 2025

A Surgical Model of Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction in Tibetan Minipigs
Published on: February 18, 2022
[Heart failure in young children; a serious cause of feeding problems]
Stef M A Wingens1, Zina Fejzic2, Bart C W Kuipers1,3
1Jeroen Bosch Ziekenhuis, afd. Kindergeneeskunde, 's-Hertogenbosch.
Insights
Pediatric heart failure, though rare, can stem from conditions like Anomalous Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery (ALPACA). Early recognition of pediatric heart failure is crucial for timely intervention and improved outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Congenital Heart Disease
- Pediatric Critical Care
Abstract:
Feeding problems in children are usually harmless and common, but can rarely exist as a result of pathology. Heart failure is one of them and has to be recognized early because of its many consequences. We present a 15-week-old female infant who was seen at the outpatient clinic. She had already been evaluated several times by a youth doctor and general practitioner because of feeding problems and transpiration, for which several nutritional interventions had already been carried out. With no effect of nutritional interventions she was referred to a pediatrician. Physical examination showed clear signs of heart failure and echocardiogram showed a severe dilation of the left ventricle, with poor contractility of the lateral wall and papillary muscle, with end stage heart failure due to an Anomalous Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery (ALPACA). In this article we discuss the clinical presentation of heart failure: stagnant growth, exercise intolerance, tachypnea and sometimes hepatomegaly, edema, murmurs or cyanosis. In addition, when a patient does not respond to initial therapy, we recommend to reconsider differential diagnosis and/or refer to a pediatrician.
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Imbalances in Cardiac Output
CHF can occur due to the failure of either side of the heart. Left-side failure leads to pulmonary congestion—the right side continues to send...
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