The effect of the first dose of captopril on blood pressure in infants in heart failure.

In a double-blind controlled study, six infants with congestive heart failure were given captopril to observe the effect on blood pressure. There was a significant fall in systolic (P less than 0.02) and diastolic (P less than 0.01) blood pressure at 90 minutes after the first dose. There was no correlation with plasma renin activity or plasma sodium concentration. The need to monitor blood pressure after introduction of captopril therapy for the treatment of heart failure in infants is demonstrated.