Diagnosis of Pulmonary Hypertension

Publication Date: December 1, 2018
Last Updated: March 14, 2022

Diagnostic approach in patients with clinical suspicion for PH/pulmonary arterial hypertension

Established diagnostic tools

Electrocardiography

Since the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) registry report on primary PH in 1987, the ECG has been considered a reliable clue to the presence of PH.
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Practice recommendations (including high-risk population screening recommendations)

Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis) and scleroderma spectrum

For patients with SSc and SSc spectrum with uncorrected DLCO 1.6 (assuming none-to-mild interstitial lung disease) and >2-fold upper limit of normal of NT-proBNP. If any of these screening tests are positive, these patients should be referred for RHC. For those with uncorrected DLCO ⩾80% of predicted, screening may be considered with TTE.
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Overview

Title

Diagnosis of Pulmonary Hypertension

Authoring Organization

European Respiratory Society