RT Book, Section A1 Lasa, Javier J. A1 Moffett, Brady S. A2 Kline, Mark W. SR Print(0) ID 1182926366 T1 Vasoactive Medications T2 Rudolph's Pediatrics, 23e YR 2018 FD 2018 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781259588594 LK accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1182926366 RD 2024/04/25 AB The use of vasoactive medications in the management of critically ill pediatric patients is common, with formal recommendations for their use in pediatric advanced life support algorithms first published over 30 years ago. Vasoactives are utilized throughout all pediatric age ranges and disease processes and continue to serve an important therapeutic role in the resuscitation of critically ill children. An understanding of the physiologic and pharmacologic underpinnings of each vasoactive class and subtype is absolutely necessary for the pediatric acute care provider. The provision of timely and effective therapy in the critical care or emergency room setting also requires an understanding of the wide variety of etiologies that contribute to hemodynamic instability in children: septic, cardiogenic, distributive, and hypovolemic shock states, in addition to cardiogenic shock related to acute heart failure or decompensated chronic heart failure. This chapter will describe the various medical therapies that modulate cardiovascular physiology, often termed vasoactives, while comparing and contrasting their pharmacologic properties, indications, and current practice in the pediatric population.