Pulmonary HTN and pulmonary embolism Flashcards
Definition of pulmonary HTN
An increase in mean pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) >25mmHg
General classification of pulmonary HTN
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH)
- Idiopathic PAH
- HEritable
- Drugs and toxins induces
- Associated with APAH
- Persistent pulmonary HTN of the newborn
Pulmonary HTN due to left heart disease
Pulmonary HTN due to lung diseases and/or hypoxaemia
- Chronic obsructive pulmonary disease
- Interstitial lung disease
- Other pulmonary disease with mixed restrictive and obstructive pattern
- Sleep-disorder breathing
- Alveolar hypoventilation disorders
- Chronci exposure to high altitude
- Developmental abnormalities
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary HTN
_PH with unclear and/or multifactoral mechanisms _
PCWP
Wedge pressure
Drugs and toxins that cause PAH
Definitely
- Aminorex
- Fenfluramine
- Detenfluramine
- Toxic rapeseed oil
- Benfluorex
Likely
- Amphertamines
- Methamphetamines
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) characteristics and clinicla groups
Mean PAP >25mmHg
All clinical groups.
Pre-capillary PH charcteristics
- Mean PAP >25mmHg
- PWP <15mmHg
- CO normal or reduced
Pre-capillary PH clinical group(s)
- Pulmonary arterial HTN
- PH due to lung diseases
- Chronic thromboembolic PH
- PH with unclear and/or multifactoral mechanisms
Postcapillary PH characteirtsics
(caused by left heart disease)
- Mean PAP >25mmHg
- PWP >15mmHg
- CO normal or reduced
Post-capillary PH clinical groups
PH due to left heart disease
Passive PH
TPG <12mmHg
Reactive PH
May be additional cardiac remodeling
TPG >12mmHg
Vasoresponders
Patients who respond to calcium channel agonists - pressure in pulmonary circulation drops to a certain level, and CO remains the same.
Only about 10% respond to calcium channel antagonists.
Agents for testing vasoreactivity
- IV epaprostenol
- iNO
- Adenosine IV
- Iloprost inh
- Sildenafil
World burden PH
Schistosomiasis: infectious organism that lays its eggs in the pulmonary circulation and obliterates it, causing destruction of the vascular bed, and thus high resistance.
High altitude: >2500m, chronically exposed to hypoxia, leads to vasoconstriction adn elevated pulmonary pressures - develop RHF.
Chronic inhereted: sickle cell disease, thalassaemia
HIV: 1% develop PH
Cardia diseases: high LAP and high elevation in pulmonary pressure.
- Rheumatic valvular disease
- Congenital heart disease
- Endomyocardial fibrosis
Pathogenesis of PH
Vasoconstriction
- Often triggered by hypoxia
Endothelial dysfunction: not normal signaling between endothelium and smooth muscle.
- High flow or pressure (shunts)
- Direct toxins (such as weight loss drugs)
- Intimal proliferation (due to genetic predisposition)
Smooth muscle
- Hyperplasia
- Hypertrophy
- Increased matrix deposition and fibroblast proliferation - walls become very stiff and non-compliant.
Thrombosis in situ
- Due to obliteration of the vascular bed
- Hence treatment with anticoagulants
Insult leads to vascular injury resulting in:
- Decreased NO and prostacyclin, which are vasodilators
- Upregulation of endothelin - potent vasoconstrictor
- Upregulation of thromboxane - potent vasoconstriction and platelet adherence