title: Pediatric Heart Failure: A Practical Guide to Diagnosis and Management.
abstract: Pediatric heart failure represents an important cause of morbidity and mortality in childhood. Currently, there are well-established guidelines for the management of heart failure in the adult population, but an equivalent consensus in children is lacking. In the clinical setting, ensuring an accurate diagnosis and defining etiology is essential to optimal treatment. Diuretics and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition are the first-line therapies, whereas beta-blockers and devices for electric therapy are less used in children than in adults. In the end-stage disease, heart transplantation is the best choice of treatment, while a left ventricular assist device can be used as a bridge to transplantation (due to the difficulties in finding organ donors), recovery (in the case of myocarditis), or destination therapy (for patients with systemic disease).
authors.affiliation: Cardiologia SUN - Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiothoracic Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy. Electronic address: danielemasarone@libero.it.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Masarone
authors.affiliation: Cardiologia SUN - Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiothoracic Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.affiliation: Cardiologia SUN - Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiothoracic Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rubino
authors.affiliation: Cardiologia SUN - Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiothoracic Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Rossella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vastarella
authors.affiliation: Cardiologia SUN - Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiothoracic Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Rita
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gravino
authors.affiliation: Cardiologia SUN - Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiothoracic Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rea
authors.affiliation: Cardiologia SUN - Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiothoracic Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Giovanna
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Russo
authors.affiliation: Cardiologia SUN - Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiothoracic Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pacileo
authors.affiliation: Cardiologia SUN - Heart Failure Unit, Department of Cardiothoracic Sciences, Second University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Limongelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D004232:Diuretics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006353:Heart-Assist Devices; D006801:Humans; D014019:Tissue Donors
chemical_list: D000806:Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors; D004232:Diuretics
keywords: cardiomyopathies; congenital heart diseases; pediatric cardiac transplantation; pediatric heart failure