Presentation, diagnosis, and medical management of heart failure in children: Canadian Cardiovascular Society guidelines

Can J Cardiol. 2013 Dec;29(12):1535-52. doi: 10.1016/j.cjca.2013.08.008.

Abstract

Pediatric heart failure (HF) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in childhood. This article presents guidelines for the recognition, diagnosis, and early medical management of HF in infancy, childhood, and adolescence. The guidelines are intended to assist practitioners in office-based or emergency room practice, who encounter children with undiagnosed heart disease and symptoms of possible HF, rather than those who have already received surgical palliation. The guidelines have been developed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology, and are accompanied by practical Recommendations for their application in the clinical setting, supplemented by online material. This work does not include Recommendations for advanced management involving ventricular assist devices, or other device therapies.

Publication types

  • Consensus Development Conference
  • Practice Guideline

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Algorithms
  • Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers / therapeutic use
  • Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / complications
  • Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia / diagnosis
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Canada
  • Cardiomyopathies / complications
  • Cardiomyopathies / diagnosis
  • Cardiotonic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Catecholamines / therapeutic use
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Combined Modality Therapy
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac / etiology
  • Death, Sudden, Cardiac / prevention & control
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Diuretics / therapeutic use
  • Echocardiography
  • Electrocardiography, Ambulatory
  • Evidence-Based Medicine
  • Heart Defects, Congenital / diagnosis
  • Heart Defects, Congenital / therapy
  • Heart Failure / classification
  • Heart Failure / diagnosis*
  • Heart Failure / drug therapy*
  • Heart Failure / etiology
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Myocarditis / complications
  • Myocarditis / diagnosis
  • Myocardium / pathology
  • Prognosis
  • Risk Factors
  • Societies, Medical
  • Vasodilator Agents / therapeutic use
  • Vasopressins / antagonists & inhibitors

Substances

  • Angiotensin II Type 1 Receptor Blockers
  • Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Biomarkers
  • Cardiotonic Agents
  • Catecholamines
  • Diuretics
  • Vasodilator Agents
  • Vasopressins

Supplementary concepts

  • Noncompaction of Left Ventricular Myocardium with Congenital Heart Defects