title: Cardiovascular drugs for the newborn.
abstract: This article reviews the various cardiovascular drugs for newborns, including antiarrhythmics, antihypertensives, inotropes, and pulmonary vasodilators. Antiarrhythmic drugs are classified according to their mechanisms of action, such as effects on ion channels, duration of repolarization, and receptor interaction, which help with understanding the effects of individual antiarrhythmic drugs and selection of drugs for specific arrhythmias. Drug treatment for hypertension should start with a single drug from one of the following classes: ACE inhibitors, angiotensin-receptor antagonists, beta-receptor antagonists, calcium channel blockers, or diuretics. The inotropic drug should be selected according to its specific pharmacologic properties and the specific cardiovascular abnormality to be corrected. An effective pulmonary vasodilator must dilate the pulmonary vasculature more than the systemic vasculature.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, University of Utah, 50 North Medical Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA. Robert.Ward@hsc.utah.edu
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Ward
authors.forename: Ralph A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lugo
mesh_terms: D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007232:Infant, Newborn, Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D002317:Cardiovascular Agents