Pulmonary Pressure: Advanced

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. Most commonly, peak TR velocity is used to estimate pulmonary artery systolic pressure. While this measurement is commonly available and easily obtained, it provides only an estimate of the pulmonary artery systolic pressure, and not mean PA pressure. Mean PA pressure is the parameter used by the WHO to define presence and severity of pulmonary hypertension and carries important diagnostic and prognostic significance. In addition, evaluating pulmonary vascular resistance is critical for the proper classification of pulmonary hypertension and treatment considerations. Echocardiographic techniques are available to further assess pulmonary pressures including pulmonary artery diastolic pressure, mean pulmonary artery pressure, and pulmonary vascular resistance. Like with any other echo obtained measurement, attention to quality and accuracy of the interrogated flow and the obtained spectral signal is of paramount importance in order to assure the accuracy of the obtained data.