title: Antiplatelet therapy in children: why so different from adults'?
abstract: Antiplatelet agents are administered in the treatment of a large number of adult diseases: coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, peripheral arterial disease, arrhythmias with their thromboembolic complications, primary and secondary prevention. In childhood however, the situation is substantially different. The lack of large interventional trials on the use of antiplatelet drugs in children, has led to greater uncertainty, and a less extensive use of these drugs, limited to fewer indications. The purpose of this article was to review the studies conducted to date on the use of antiplatelet agents in children. A concerted effort has been made to identify which are the shared therapeutic indications of this class of compounds, the recommended dose, the contraindications and the possible side effects. In brief, an attempt has been made to ascertain the interesting potential of these drugs which are so often neglected in children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular and Neurological Sciences, University of Cagliari, Italy. piercard@inwind.it
authors.forename: Pier Paolo
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Bassareo
authors.forename: Vassilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Fanos
authors.forename: Nicoletta
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iacovidou
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mercuro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001241:Aspirin / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004176:Dipyridamole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012202:Reye Syndrome / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D004176:Dipyridamole; D001241:Aspirin