Title:Antiplatelet Therapy in Children: Why So Different from Adults’?
Volume: 18
Issue: 21
Author(s): Pier Paolo Bassareo, Vassilios Fanos, Nicoletta Iacovidou and Giuseppe Mercuro
Affiliation:
Keywords:
Platelet, antiplatelet agents, aspirin, haemostasis, paediatric, coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, peripheral arterial disease, arrhythmias, thromboembolic complications
Abstract: Antiplatelet agents are administered in the treatment of a large number of adult diseases: coronary heart disease, ischemic
stroke, peripheral arterial disease, arrhythmias with their thromboembolic complications, primary and secondary prevention.
In childhood however, the situation is substantially different. The lack of large interventional trials on the use of antiplatelet drugs in
children, has led to greater uncertainty, and a less extensive use of these drugs, limited to fewer indications.
The purpose of this article was to review the studies conducted to date on the use of antiplatelet agents in children. A concerted effort has
been made to identify which are the shared therapeutic indications of this class of compounds, the recommended dose, the contraindications
and the possible side effects. In brief, an attempt has been made to ascertain the interesting potential of these drugs which are so often
neglected in children.
