Automated Identification of Drug-Drug Interactions in Pediatric Congestive Heart Failure Patients

Congestive Heart Failure, or CHF, is a serious medical condition that can result in fluid buildup in the body as a result of a weak heart. When the heart can’t pump enough blood to efficiently deliver nutrients and oxygen to the body, kidney function may be impaired, resulting in fluid retention. CHF patients require a broad drug regimen to maintain the delicate system balance, particularly between their heart and kidneys. These drugs include ACE inhibitors and Beta Blockers to control blood pressure, anticoagulants to prevent blood clots, and diuretics to reduce fluid overload. Many of these drugs may interact, and potential effects of these interactions must be weighed against their benefits. For this project, we consider a set of 44 drugs identified as specifically relevant for treating CHF by pediatric cardiologists at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. This list was generated as part of our current work at the LPCH Heart Center. The goal of this project is to identify and evaluate potentially harmful drug-drug interactions (DDIs) within pediatric patients with Congestive Heart Failure. This identification will be done autonomously, so that it may continuously update by evaluating newly published literature.