Cardiovascular Risk Screening before Starting Stimulants for ADHD in Canadian Practice

Abstract

Health Canada released a statement advising against stimulants in ADHD patients with cardiac disease in May 2006, after isolated reports of sudden death The impact of this advisory on 1) physicians’ cardiovascular assessment of all children with ADHD before starting stimulant medications, and 2) on the treatment of children with potential or real cardiac disease was assessed by questionnaires mailed to noncardiologists and pediatric cardiologists in Canada from the Department of Pediatrics, IWK Health Centre, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Keywords

• cardiovascular assessment
• pediatric cardiologists
• noncardiologists willing