Hypertension masquerading as Pediatric Cardiomyopathy: an exercise in cognitive biases

Cardiol Young. 2021 Jun;31(6):1036-1038. doi: 10.1017/S1047951121000093. Epub 2021 Jan 25.

Abstract

Heuristics and cognitive biases constantly influence clinical decision-making and often facilitate judgements under uncertainty. They can frequently, however, lead to diagnostic errors and adverse outcomes, particularly when considering rare disease processes that have common, masquerading presentations. Herein, we present two such cases of newborn infants with hypertensive renal disorders that were initially thought to have cardiomyopathy.

Keywords: Cardiomyopathy; cognitive bias; heuristics; hypertension; renal.

MeSH terms

  • Bias
  • Cardiomyopathies* / diagnosis
  • Child
  • Cognition
  • Decision Making
  • Humans
  • Hypertension*
  • Infant
  • Infant, Newborn