Medicines to help the heart work better. These medicines also decrease blood pressure. The medical team will follow your child closely while starting and adjusting these medicines. Examples include: enalapril (Vasotec or Epaned), captopril (Capoten), and lisinopril (Privinil).
After surgery, most children go home with prescription medicines. Your child’s medicines will change often as your child recovers.
If you don’t know why your child is taking a medicine, please ask your cardiologist. We will give you a list of your child’s medicines when you leave the hospital and at clinic visits.
Talk with your care team about any medicines that need to be administered during school hours, and share this booklet with your child’s school nurse.
It is important to keep all medicines out of reach of children.
Diuretics: Medicines to increase body water loss through pee to help the heart work better. Examples include: Lasix, Diuril, and Aldactone.
Medicines to treat pain: Medicines to decrease the amount of discomfort your child may have after surgery. Common side effects of pain medicine include constipation (or belly pain), nausea, vomiting and drowsiness. Examples include: Tylenol, oxycodone, and ibuprofen.
Medicines to lower the amount of stomach acid to treat stomach reflux and prevent stomach ulcers. Examples include: lansoprazole (Prevacid) and ranitidine (Zantac).
Used to prevent blood clot formation in patients who are at increased risk due to their disease state or surgical procedure (BT shunt, conduit placement, Fontan, prosthetic valves, etc). Chewable aspirin tablets may be divided and crushed to give to smaller children.
Medicines to decrease the heart rate and help the heart work better. They are also used to treat abnormal heart rhythms. Common side e ects include slow heart rate, trouble exercising, and low blood sugar. Examples include: carvedilol (Coreg), metoprolol (Lopressor), and propranolol (Inderal).
Medicines to increase body water loss through pee to help the heart work better. Examples include: Lasix, Diuril, and Aldactone.
Medicines to decrease the amount of discomfort your child may have after surgery. Common side e ects of pain medicine include constipation (or belly pain), nausea, vomiting and drowsiness. Examples include: Tylenol, oxycodone, and ibuprofen.