TY - CHAP M1 - Book, Section TI - Heart Failure in Infants and Children A1 - Fein, Mindy A1 - Dewitt, Aaron A1 - Moro-Sutherland, Donna M. A2 - Tenenbein, Milton A2 - Macias, Charles G. A2 - Sharieff, Ghazala Q. A2 - Yamamoto, Loren G. A2 - Schafermeyer, Robert PY - 2019 T2 - Strange and Schafermeyer's Pediatric Emergency Medicine, 5e AB - New-onset heart failure may be difficult to diagnose in children, as symptoms closely mimic common respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses, or even sepsis, diverting attention from the true primary cause.A directed history and physical examination can provide clues to the presence and possible etiologies of heart failure.Abnormal vital signs with elevated core temperature compared to peripheral extremities may suggest cardiac disease.The clinical diagnosis of congestive heart failure in infants rests upon identification of cardinal signs: labored breathing and diaphoresis with feeding, failure to thrive, and hepatomegaly. A gallop may also be present.Acute management in the emergency room is aimed at improving oxygenation and oxygen delivery as well as reducing metabolic energy and oxygen demands.Medications to consider include diuretics, inotropes, vasodilators, and neurohumoral modulators (i.e., angiotensin-converting enzyme [ACE] inhibitors, β-blockers). SN - PB - McGraw-Hill Education CY - New York, NY Y2 - 2024/03/28 UR - accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1155297161 ER -