Pediatric Heart Failure PDF

Preface

Heart failure is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children. Although there are many similarities between heart failure in children and adults, the etiologies, pathophysiology, and physiologic consequences of heart failure in children are often very different than in adults. We are publishing this book because it is the first book of its kind to specifically focus on heart failure in children and a comprehensive text of this kind is lacking. This text provides a single reference source for pediatric heart failure and is a must-read for all health care professional who care for children with heart disease so they will be able to recognize and treat heart failure in children. The overall objectives of this book are to define the etiologies, pathophysiology, and treatment of heart failure in children from fetal life, childhood, adolesence, and through adult life with congenital heart disease. This book will address both chronic and acute decompensated heart failure, thus providing insights into the diagnosis and management of children from the womb, to the nursery, the intensive care unit, and the outpatient clinic. The target audience for this book includes pediatric cardiologists, pediatric cardiothoracic surgeons, pediatric intensivists, pediatricians, anesthesiologists, nurses, and all health care providers who deal with children with heart failure. This book will have special emphasis on the mechanisms, diagnosis, and management of heart failure that are unique to childern.