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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Title
Diagnosis of Pulmonary Hypertension
Authoring Organization
European Respiratory Society