Pulmonary Hypertension Research Paper

Pulmonary hypertension is a lung disorder. The arteries that carry blood from the heart to the lungs become narrowed, making it very hard for the blood to get through the vessels, this then causes the pressure in the arteries to increase more than usual (high blood pressure). Scientists think that the procedure starts with injury to the layer of cells that line the small blood vessels of the lungs.

et al. 2017). Pulmonary hypertensions occurs in about 8-23% of premature infants (Vyas-Read S et. al. 2017). One method of determine if a patient has pulmonary arterial hypertension is by lung function test (Davis R and Mychaliska G, 2013). One current method used to help treat pulmonary arterial hypertension is assisted ventilation, the method helps lower blood pressure (Davis R and Mychaliska G, 2013). However assisted ventilation can not be used in all preterm infants some extracorporeal life support which will provide respiratory and veno-arterial support (Davis R and Mychaliska G, 2013).

Lungs: Mild end-expiratory wheezing. Pursed-lip breathing noted and has a prolonged expiratory phase. Chest x-ray shows pulmonary hyperinflation, flattening of the diaphragm; Pulmonary function test (after bronchodilation with 2 puffs albuterol—FEV1/FVC ratio 0.60 FEV1 60% of predicted value)

His lung sounds are diminished bilaterally. Pulse oximetry reading is 90%. He is receiving oxygen at 2 liters per nasal cannula. He complains of shortness of breath with exertion.

Pulmonary Angiogram: Much like a cardiac catheterization, a catheter is threaded through a large vein, like in the groin and into the pulmonary veins. A dye is then injected to identify any threatening obstructions. While the dye is injected x-rays are taken to find and pinpoint the embolus (Ignatavicius, Workman, Blair, Rebar, &

Swelling and increased fluid in the lungs may also be a sign to look for. A steady tracking of the symptoms and health history of the person should be taken into consideration as well.

This then increases the pressure through the vessels and the left ventricular myocardium or heart muscle undergoes hypertrophy. Ischaemic heart disease and left ventricular failure are common results of hypertension in this case.

The causes resulting in hypertension vary from person to person and can be extremely difficult to identify. In other words the exact causes of high blood pressure are not known, but several factors and conditions may play a role in its development, including: Smoking, Being overweight or obese, Lack of physical activity, Too much salt in the diet, Too much alcohol consumption (more than 1 to 2 drinks per day), Stress, Older age, Genetics,

A person with left sided heart failure my experience SOB and increased episodes of coughing caused by fluid buildup in the lungs. Pulmonary edema often causes a patient to cough up blood-tinged phlegm. (Cadwallader p. 1143). The PMI is displaced toward the left anterior axillary line, and there is a presence of S3 caused by ventricular filling, and/or S4 resulting from atrial contraction against a noncompliant ventricle. (Schilling-McCann p. 176). The person may have cool, pale skin resulting from peripheral vasoconstriction. Restlessness and confusion is normally due to decreased cardiac output.

The pulmonary vasculature contains arteries and arterioles, which branch in the lungs to create a dense capillary bed to provide blood flow. The pulmonary capillary bed is a high-volume, low-pressure, low-resistance system that delivers blood to and from the lungs via the arterial and venous circulation systems. The right ventricle of the heart is responsible for pumping blood to the pulmonary artery and to the lungs so it can be oxygenated while the left ventricle pumps oxygenated blood to the tissues. Typically, hypertension refers to high blood pressure in the systemic circulation, however, an increase in blood pressure may also occur in pulmonary circulation. The pulmonary artery supplying blood to the lungs can become narrowed,

Extremely persistent elevated blood pressures; systolic over 180 mmHg and/or a diastole over 120 mmHg.

Symptoms of pulmonary hypertension do not usually occur until the condition has progressed. The first symptom of pulmonary hypertension is shortness of breath with everyday activities, such as climbing stairs. Fatigue, dizziness, and fainting spells can also be symptoms. Swelling in the abdomen, ankles or legs, bluish lips and skin, and chest pain may occur as strain on the heart increases. Symptoms range

To begin the search on Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH), pulmonary arterial hypertension was typed into PubMed and was limited for review articles in English. This approach was taken because the main interest of the search was the disease state and a review article was desired. The incidence of PAH is approximately between 5 to 52 cases per one million people. Also, the disease affects women more than men in a 2:1 ratio3. The pathophysiology of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension occurs when vasodilators, like nitric oxide and prostacyclins, are under expressed and vasoconstrictors, like endothelin, are overproduced. The underproduction of vasodilators

Depending on the drug and their effect on the children, should determine which path to take. For example, pulmonary hypertensive vascular disease (PHVD) is a condition that can occur in patients of all ages. According to Adatia (2013), “Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (IPAH) is more common in adults whereas pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) occurs more often in children. PHVD can lead to heart failure and death. Therefore, extensive research must be conducted both in adults and children. Currently there are medical therapies that have shown to prolong life and possibly reduced the symptoms, however, a cure is not available.

A positive D-dimer test would be expected with this patient. Arterial blood gases may show that the patient is hypoxic and has respiratory alkalosis (McCance & Huether, 2014). A CT scan may show an affected artery that has become enlarged. Hemotocrit may be high causing the blood to not be able to thicken like it would normally. PTT and INR could be low and also tell the provider how capable the body’s blood clotting capabilities are. Drawing troponin levels is helpful since a pulmonary embolism tends to increase right ventricular strain (McCance & Huether, 2014). Checking the patient’s heart rhythm is also necessary to detect any strain on the heart. A transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) may insightful since the patient is experiencing a pulmonary embolism and the provider would want to know if there was any other evidence of clots in the body. It provides information on the heart and how it is or is not functioning. A TEE has the ability to determine if a patient has any regurgitation, stenosis, abnormal tissues, and even endocarditis (“Transesophageal,”