Authors: Abel P Wakai / Editor: Jason M Kendall / Reviewer: Stewart McMorran, Eugene Henry / Code: A1 / Published: 30/07/2021
Description:
Patients with known pulmonary hypertension may present to the emergency department with a variety of acute problems related to this disease such as pulmonary embolism, acute right heart failure, cardiac arrest, catheter-related sepsis and technical problems with intravenous catheters. In patients with previously undiagnosed pulmonary hypertension, the emergency physician is in a strong position to consider the initial diagnosis as long as there is a high index of suspicion in any patient presenting with breathlessness in the absence of an alternative cause of cardiorespiratory disease.
After completing this session you will be able to:
- Define pulmonary hypertension
- Identify the clinical conditions associated with pulmonary hypertension
- Recognise the pathophysiology of pulmonary hypertension and related right heart failure
- Know when to suspect the presence of pulmonary hypertension
- Recognise the problems associated with pulmonary hypertension that may present to the emergency department
- Identify current management options for pulmonary hypertension
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