title: Chronic congestive heart failure in infancy and childhood: new aspects of diagnosis and treatment.
abstract: Congestive heart failure (CHF) is the inability of the heart to meet the metabolic demands of the body. As a disease of the advanced age with a frequency of 1-2% of the population it is rare in infancy and childhood. The incidence ranges from 2.95 (in all US children's hospitals) to 23.2 (University's Childrens Hospital Essen) on 1 000 discharges. Among the diagnostic procedures echocardiography is the primary modality of imaging. Tei-index and tissue-Doppler are more sensitive parameters for LV-dysfunction. BNP/NT-proBNP are age-dependent and can guide the long-term therapy. Treatment in childhood does not differ basically from that in adulthood, recommended by several guidelines, but data regarding the various substances - outlined in detail - are very limited. Here a big work has to be done in future!
authors.affiliation: Former: Clinic for Pediatric Cardiology, University Childrens Hospital, Essen, Germany.
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Schmaltz
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D015996:Survival Rate; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002317:Cardiovascular Agents