PULMONARY ARTERIOVENOUS MALFORMATION (AVMS)

Course overview

PULMONARY ARTERIOVENOUS MALFORMATION (AVMS) IS A RARE CLINICAL PROBLEM IN WHICH ABNORMAL COMMUNICATIONS DEVELOP BETWEEN A PULMONARY ARTERY AND A PULMONARY VEIN, BYPASSING THE PULMONARY CAPILLARY BED. THE PATIENT PRESENTATION CAN VARY FROM LITTLE OR NO SYMPTOMS TO SEVERE DYSPNEA AND PLATYPNEA-ORTHODEOXIA, DEPENDING ON THE DEGREE OF RIGHT-TO-LEFT SHUNTING OF BLOOD. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF PULMONARY AVMS AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN THE CARE OF PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.