Pulmonary Hypertension: A Case-Based Approach

Pulmonary hypertension is a progressive and debilitating condition characterized by elevated blood pressure in the pulmonary arteries, leading to impaired functioning of the heart and lungs. This case-based approach focuses on individual patient scenarios to understand the diverse causes, clinical...

• The mean pulmonary artery pressure is normally 14 plus or minus 3, and pulmonary hypertension is defined as a mean pulmonary artery pressure greater than 20, according to current European Respiratory Society guidelines. This measurement is ideally obtained via right heart catheterization, considered the gold standard, though it's not routinely performed on all patients. Pulmonary hypertension is classified into five groups, with Group 1 specifically termed "pulmonary arterial hypertension" and including idiopathic, heritable, drug/toxin-induced, and associated conditions like connective tissue disorders, HIV, portal hypertension, congenital heart disease (specifically shunting types), pulmonary veno-occlusive disease, and persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn.