PERSISTENT PULMONARY HYPERTENSION OF THE NEWBORN

Course overview

PERSISTENT PULMONARY HYPERTENSION, ALSO CALLED PERSISTENT FETAL CIRCULATION, OCCURS DUE TO AN ABNORMAL TRANSITION FROM FETAL TO EXTRAUTERINE CIRCULATION. IT CAN ALSO RESULT FROM POOR LUNG VASCULARIZATION IN CONDITIONS SUCH AS CONGENITAL DIAPHRAGMATIC HERNIA. NEWBORNS WITH THIS DIAGNOSIS PRESENT WITH SIGNIFICANT HYPOXEMIA AND RESPIRATORY FAILURE IN THE FIRST 12 HOURS OF LIFE. THIS CONDITION MUST BE RECOGNIZED EARLY AND TREATED AGGRESSIVELY TO AVOID MULTI-ORGAN HYPOXIC COMPROMISE, MORBIDITY, AND DEATH. PULMONARY VASODILATORS ARE THE MAINSTAY OF TREATMENT FOR PERSISTENT PULMONARY HYPERTENSION IN NEWBORNS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE ETIOLOGY, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, AND MANAGEMENT OF INFANTS WITH PERSISTENT PULMONARY HYPERTENSION OF THE NEWBORN AND ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN OPTIMIZING OUTCOMES IN NEONATES WITH PERSISTENT PULMONARY HYPERTENSION.