Pulmonary Pressure: Beginner

Abstract

Echocardiography can be utilized to assess pulmonary pressures. Pulmonary pressures are an important part of the hemodynamic assessment and carry significant prognostic and therapeutic implications. The benefits of using echocardiography for assessing pulmonary pressures include the noninvasive nature of the assessment with no known risks, the ability to perform the study at bedside and repeat as needed, and the availability of complementary information (e.g., right ventricular size and function) that can help understand that pathologic process and its impact on the heart. It is essential to understand which pulmonary pressure (e.g., systolic, diastolic, or mean) is measured by each technique in order to have a comprehensive assessment, as well as compare data across various techniques. The most commonly used measurement to assess pulmonary pressure is the interrogation of tricuspid regurgitation jet velocity. This allows for calculation of the pulmonary artery systolic pressure, which provides a good estimate for the presence and severity of pulmonary hypertension.