scholarly journals Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Unmasked by Pregnancy

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 240-243
Author(s):  
Adam Maxwell ◽  
◽  
Thomas Holman ◽  
Timea Novak ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Hypertension ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Right Heart Failure ◽  
Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Shortness Of Breath ◽  
Acute Medical Unit ◽  
Pulmonary Angiogram ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial

A 31-year old woman presented to the acute medical unit 9 days post-partum with shortness of breath and peripheral oedema. Initially suspected to have either a pulmonary embolism or post-partum cardiomyopathy, she proceeded to have imaging including a CT Pulmonary angiogram and echocardiogram, which were suggestive of pulmonary hypertension and severe right heart failure. Her history and other investigations did not reveal any obvious cause for this. She was transferred to a specialist centre where she was diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (IPAH), previously known as primary pulmonary hypertension. Shortness of breath during pregnancy and in the postpartum period is a relatively common acute medical presentation. Whilst IPAH is a rare diagnosis, it carries a high mortality rate, particularly in pregnancy, and requires prompt specialist investigation, diagnosis and management.

scholarly journals Symptoms, impacts, and suitability of the Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension – Symptoms and Impact (PAH-SYMPACT™) questionnaire in patients with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH): a qualitative interview study

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooke Currie ◽  
Evan Davies ◽  
Amélie Beaudet ◽  
Larissa Stassek ◽  
Leah Kleinman
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Hypertension ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension ◽  
Shortness Of Breath ◽  
Response Options ◽  
Qualitative Interview Study ◽  
Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a rare form of pulmonary hypertension caused by blood clots and scar tissue in the blood vessels of the lungs. Health-related quality of life is often significantly impaired in patients with CTEPH. However, a better understanding of how CTEPH symptoms affect patients’ lives is needed to optimally assess the impact of the disease and treatment. Objectives This qualitative study aimed to better understand the symptoms of CTEPH and how they affect patients’ lives, as well as to determine the appropriateness of the Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension – Symptoms and Impact (PAH-SYMPACT™) questionnaire for use in this patient population. Methods Adults diagnosed with CTEPH, recruited from two clinical sites in the US, participated in one-to-one qualitative telephone interviews. They described their experience of CTEPH symptoms and the impact these symptoms have on their lives. They also provided feedback on the comprehensibility and relevance of the PAH-SYMPACT™‘s instructions, items, and response options. Results Participants (N = 12) had a mean age of 62.5 years. Two thirds were female and most (83%) had undergone pulmonary endarterectomy and/or balloon pulmonary angioplasty. The most frequently endorsed symptoms were shortness of breath (endorsed by all 12 participants), fatigue (11 participants), and lightheadedness (10 participants). All participants identified shortness of breath as an “extremely important” symptom, and seven participants rated fatigue as “extremely important.” The most frequent impacts of CTEPH were on ability to walk quickly (endorsed by all 12 participants), ability to walk up inclines or stairs (11 participants), and ability to carry things (11 participants). The PAH-SYMPACT™ items were relevant to most participants and reflected their experience of CTEPH. All participants indicated that no important CTEPH symptoms were missing from the PAH-SYMPACT™. Overall, the instructions, items, and response options of the PAH-SYMPACT™ were clear and easy to understand. Conclusions The symptoms and impacts experienced by patients with CTEPH align with items included in the PAH-SYMPACT™. The PAH-SYMPACT™ appears to be fit for purpose for assessing disease status in patients with CTEPH.

scholarly journals Critical Care Management of Decompensated Right Heart Failure in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Patients – An Ongoing Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 170-183
Author(s):  
Ioan Tilea ◽  
Andreea Varga ◽  
Anca-Meda Georgescu ◽  
Bianca-Liana Grigorescu
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Pulmonary Hypertension ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Care Management ◽  
Right Heart Failure ◽  
Right Heart ◽  
Continuous Increase ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial

Abstract Despite substantial advancements in diagnosis and specific medical therapy in pulmonary arterial hypertension patients’ management, this condition continues to represent a major cause of mortality worldwide. In pulmonary arterial hypertension, the continuous increase of pulmonary vascular resistance and rapid development of right heart failure determine a poor prognosis. Against targeted therapy, patients inexorable deteriorate over time. Pulmonary arterial hypertension patients with acute right heart failure who need intensive care unit admission present a complexity of the disease pathophysiology. Intensive care management challenges are multifaceted. Awareness of algorithms of right-sided heart failure monitoring in intensive care units, targeted pulmonary hypertension therapies, and recognition of precipitating factors, hemodynamic instability and progressive multisystem organ failure requires a multidisciplinary pulmonary hypertension team. This paper summarizes the management strategies of acute right-sided heart failure in pulmonary arterial hypertension adult cases based on recently available data.

scholarly journals Balloon atrial septostomy and transition of subcutaneous to intravenous prostacyclin infusion for rescuing advanced right heart failure in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension: a case report

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Kae-Woei Liang ◽  
Kuo-Yang Wang
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Right Heart Failure ◽  
Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Right Heart ◽  
Balloon Atrial Septostomy ◽  
Atrial Septostomy ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial ◽  
Prostacyclin Analogues

Abstract Background Intravenous (IV) prostacyclin analogues infusion and balloon atrial septostomy (BAS) are two important treatment options for managing advanced right heart failure in patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH). References and protocols are rare for dose titrations and transitions between subcutaneous and IV prostacyclin in functional Class IV IPAH patients. Balloon atrial septostomy is rarely done in very few expert centres. Case summary A young female with IPAH who had received maximal medication including subcutaneous prostacyclin analogues injection was admitted due to advanced right heart failure. She received ascites drainage twice. Later, we directly switched the administration route of prostacyclin from subcutaneous to IV at a ratio of 1:1 instantly. Such rapid conversion led her into a state of profound hypotension and drowsy consciousness, which was resolved after escalating IV inotropics and reducing prostacyclin dosage. Five days later, she received BAS under the guidance of intracardiac echocardiography. Her urine output increased and dyspnoea improved gradually. Six months later, clinical worsening happened again with increase of ascites and dyspnoea. She underwent 2nd and 3rd session of graded BAS with relief of symptoms again. She received permanent transition to IV prostacyclin analogues infusions via a peripherally inserted central catheter after three sessions of BAS. Discussion Balloon atrial septostomy is effective in stabilizing the critical right heart failure in IPAH patients but should be intended as a bridge to lung transplant procedure. Transition from subcutaneous to IV prostacyclin is helpful but needs to be titrated in proper aliquots and time intervals to avoid abrupt haemodynamic changes.

scholarly journals Acute vasoreactivity testing in pediatric idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension: an international survey on current practice

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 204589401985753
Author(s):  
Lina Caicedo ◽  
Rachel Hopper ◽  
Humberto Garcia Aguilar ◽  
Dunbar Ivy ◽  
Dora Haag ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Hypertension ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Functional Class ◽  
Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Clinical Criteria ◽  
First Line Therapy ◽  
Specific Protocol ◽  
The World ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial

The aim of this study was to determine practice patterns and inter-institutional variability in how acute vasoreactivity testing (AVT) is performed and interpreted in pediatrics throughout the world. A survey was offered to physicians affiliated with the Pediatric & Congenital Heart Disease Taskforce of the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute (PVRI), the Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Network (PPHNET), or the Spanish Registry for Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension (REHIPED), from February to December 2016. The survey requested data about the site-specific protocol for AVT and subsequent management of pediatric patients with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) or heritable PAH (HPAH). Twenty-eight centers from 13 countries answered the survey. AVT is performed in most centers using inhaled nitric oxide (iNO). Sitbon criteria was used in 39% of the centers, Barst criteria in 43%, and other criteria in 18%. First-line therapy for positive AVT responders in functional class (FC) I/II was calcium channel blocker (CCB) in 89%, but only in 68% as monotherapy. Most centers (71%) re-evaluated AVT-positive patients hemodynamics after 6–12 months; 29% of centers re-evaluated based only on clinical criteria. Most centers (64%) considered a good response as remaining in FC I or II, with near normalization of pulmonary arterial pressure and pulmonary vascular resistance, but a stable FC I/II alone was sufficient criteria in 25% of sites. Protocols and diagnostic criteria for AVT, and therapeutic approaches during follow-up, were highly variable across the world. Reported clinical practice is not fully congruent with current guidelines, suggesting the need for additional studies that better define the prognostic value of AVT for pediatric IPAH patients.

scholarly journals Genomewide RNA expression profiling in lung identifies distinct signatures in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension and secondary pulmonary hypertension

2010 ◽  
Vol 298 (4) ◽  
pp. H1235-H1248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Revathi Rajkumar ◽  
Kazuhisa Konishi ◽  
Thomas J. Richards ◽  
David C. Ishizawar ◽  
Andrew C. Wiechert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Hypertension ◽  
Estrogen Receptor ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Rna Expression ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Platelet Factor ◽  
Protein Ubiquitination ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial

Idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a life-threatening condition characterized by pulmonary arteriolar remodeling. This investigation aimed to identify genes involved specifically in the pathogenesis of PAH and not other forms of pulmonary hypertension (PH). Using genomewide microarray analysis, we generated the largest data set to date of RNA expression profiles from lung tissue specimens from 1) 18 PAH subjects and 2) 8 subjects with PH secondary to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and 3) 13 normal subjects. A molecular signature of 4,734 genes discriminated among these three cohorts. We identified significant novel biological changes that were likely to contribute to the pathogenesis of PAH, including regulation of actin-based motility, protein ubiquitination, and cAMP, transforming growth factor-β, MAPK, estrogen receptor, nitric oxide, and PDGF signaling. Bone morphogenic protein receptor type II expression was downregulated, even in subjects without a mutation in this gene. Women with PAH had higher expression levels of estrogen receptor 1 than normal women. Real-time quantitative PCR confirmed differential expression of the following genes in PAH relative to both normal controls and PH secondary to IPF: a disintegrin-like and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 motif 9, cell adhesion molecule with homology to L1CAM, cytochrome b558and β-polypeptide, coagulation factor II receptor-like 3, A-myb myeloblastosis viral oncogene homolog 1, nuclear receptor coactivator 2, purinergic receptor P2Y, platelet factor 4, phospholamban, and tropomodulin 3. This study shows that PAH and PH secondary to IPF are characterized by distinct gene expression signatures, implying distinct pathophysiological mechanisms.

scholarly journals Circulating Plasma Metabolomic Profiles Differentiate Rodent Models of Pulmonary Hypertension and Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Patients

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (11) ◽  
pp. 1109-1117
Author(s):  
Jun-Han Zhao ◽  
Yang-Yang He ◽  
Shan-Shan Guo ◽  
Yi Yan ◽  
Zhe Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pulmonary Hypertension ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Progressive Disease ◽  
Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension ◽  
Rodent Models ◽  
Preclinical Models ◽  
Metabolic Dysregulation ◽  
Pulmonary Arterial ◽  
Significant Pathway

Abstract BACKGROUND Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a severe progressive disease with systemic metabolic dysregulation. Monocrotaline (MCT)-induced and hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension (PH) rodent models are the most widely used preclinical models, however, whether or not these preclinical models recapitulate metabolomic profiles of PAH patients remain unclear. METHODS In this study, a targeted metabolomics panel of 126 small molecule metabolites was conducted. We applied it to the plasma of the 2 preclinical rodent models of PH and 30 idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) patients as well as 30 healthy controls to comparatively assess the metabolomic profiles of PAH patients and rodent models. RESULTS Significantly different metabolomics profiling and pathways were shown among the 2 classical rodent models and IPAH patients. Pathway analysis demonstrated that methionine metabolism and urea cycle metabolism were the most significant pathway involved in the pathogenesis of hypoxia-induced PH model and MCT-induced model, respectively, and both of them were also observed in the dysregulated pathways in IPAH patients. CONCLUSIONS These 2 models may develop PAH through different metabolomic pathways and each of the 2 classical PH model resembles IPAH patients in certain aspects.

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