PULMONARY HYPERTENSION DUE TO LUNG DISEASE OR HYPOXIA

Course overview

PULMONARY HYPERTENSION (PH) IS THE ELEVATED PRESSURE IN THE PULMONARY VASCULAR SYSTEM. CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD) AND DIFFUSE PULMONARY LUNG DISEASE (DPLD), INCLUDING IDIOPATHIC PULMONARY FIBROSIS (IPF) AND COMBINED PULMONARY FIBROSIS AND EMPHYSEMA (CPFE), ARE THE MOST COMMON DISEASE-CAUSING CHRONIC HYPOXIA AND ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE HIGHEST INCIDENCE OF PULMONARY HYPERTENSION IN THIS GROUP. PH IS CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO THE UNDERLYING PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF THE DISEASE. PH THAT DEVELOPS DUE TO ADVANCED LUNG DISEASES AND PROLONGED EVENTS OF HYPOXIA IS INCLUDED IN GROUP 3. PH IS A PROGRESSIVE CONDITION WITH GRAVE CONSEQUENCES IF NOT RECOGNIZED AND OPTIMIZED EARLY IN THE DISEASE. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION FOR EARLY RECOGNITION AND OPTIMIZATION OF PH AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN EVALUATING AND MANAGING PATIENTS WITH THIS CONDITION.