A Review of the Mechanism of Action of Drugs Used in Congestive Heart Failure in Pediatrics

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a complex, heterogeneous medically ill condition that can occur due to diverse primary (cardiomyopathies, coronary artery diseases, and hypertension) and secondary causes (high salt intake and noncompliance toward treatment) and leads to significant morbidity and mortality. The approach toward managing the patient of CHF in the pediatric age group is more complex than in the adult population. Currently, in the adult group of the population of CHF, there are well-established guidelines for managing these patients, but in the case of children, there are no well-established guidelines; therefore, this systematic review gives more ideas for managing the pediatric population undergoing CHF. Treatment of the underlying cause, rectification of any advancing event, and management of pulmonary or systemic obstruction are the principles for management. The most widely used drugs are diuretics and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, whereas beta-blockers are less commonly used in children than in adults. ACE inhibitors such as captopril, enalapril, and cilazapril are widely used in the pediatric age group. ACE inhibitors act on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) similar to those in the adult population. In children with heart failure (HF), ACE inhibitors reduce the pressure in the aorta, resistance in the systemic blood vessels, and upper left and right chamber pressures but do not appreciably influence pulmonary vascular resistance. We use a patient's initial perfusion and volume status assessment to decide further action for the supervision of acute HF. This paradigm was adopted from adult studies that showed higher rates of morbidity and mortality in patients with HF whose hemodynamic or volume status assessment results were stable with a pulmonary capillary wedge pressure >18 mmHg and a combined index (CI) of 2.2 L/minute/m(2). ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, and spironolactone are the most widely prescribed drugs for the chronic condition of CHF. This study shows the current status of medical therapy for critical as well as persistent pediatric HF.