Does quality of life outweigh the cardiovascular risks of stimulant medication in a child with ADHD and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy?

• Published in: BMJ case reports Vol. 2017; p. bcr-2017-222072
• Main Authors: Senderey, Emily, Sousa, John, Stavitsky, Mark
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BMJ Publishing Group LTD 04-10-2017; BMJ Publishing Group
• Series: Case Report
• Subjects: Academic failure; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - complications; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - drug therapy; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - psychology; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Blood pressure; Cardiomyopathy; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic - complications; Cardiomyopathy, Hypertrophic - diagnosis; Case reports; Central Nervous System Stimulants - adverse effects; Child; Children & youth; Decision Making; Drug overdose; Ethics; Europe (West); Families & family life; Female; Grandparents; Heart rate; Humans; Hyperactivity; Liability; Medical ethics; Patients; Quality of Life; Stimulants; Ultrasonic imaging; Unusual Presentation of More Common Disease/Injury; Waivers; White; drugs: psychiatry; cardiovascular system; ethics; contraindications and precautions; medical management
• ISSN: 1757-790X; 1757-790X
• DOI: 10.1136/bcr-2017-222072

A 10-year-old girl with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. The stimulant medications used to control her ADHD pose possibly fatal risks to her cardiovascular health, so stimulant medication is stopped. Due to very poor quality of life off of medication, alternative therapies are used without improvement. The patient’s caretakers decide that the benefits of stimulant medication outweigh the risks to the patient. The healthcare team clears the patient to be put back on stimulant medication with a signed waiver of liability by her caretakers.