Medical Management of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension
Eur Respir J, 1996, 9, 2401–2409 Copyright ERS Journals Ltd 1996 DOI: 10.1183/09031936.96.09112401 European Respiratory Journal Printed in UK - all rights reserved ISSN 0903 - 1936 SERIES 'UPDATE ON PULMONARY HYPERTENSION' Edited by E. Weitzenblum and T. Higenbottam Medical management of primary pulmonary hypertension M.P. Kneussl*, I.M. Lang**, †F.P. Brenot+ Medical management of primary pulmonary hypertension. M.P. Kneussl, I.M. Lang, Depts of *Internal Medicine IV (Pulmonary †F.P. Brenot. ERS Journals Ltd 1996. Medicine), and **Internal Medicine II ABSTRACT: Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is a poorly understood, pro- (Cardiology), Pulmonary Hypertension gressive disease that is characterized by elevation of pulmonary artery pressure Clinic of the Vienna General Hospital, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. and vascular resistance, leading to right ventricular failure and death within 2–3 +Service de Pneumologie et Reanimation, yrs after diagnosis. Hopital Antoine Beclere, University of Based upon the concept that vasoconstriction and thrombotic occlusion of resis- Paris School of Medicine, Clamart, France. tance vessels precipitate this process, vasodilator therapy and anticoagulation have Correspondence: M.P. Kneussl become the main strategies for improving survival in these patients. Whereas, a Klinische Abteilung für Pulmologie few years ago, medical therapy of primary pulmonary hypertension was perceived Universitätsklinik für Innere Medizin IV as a bridging therapy to lung or heart lung transplantation, modes of therapy are Allgemeines Krankenhaus der Stadt Wien being clinically tested at this time to offer an alternative to the surgical treatment Wühringer Gürtel 18-20 of this disease. However, no selective pulmonary vasodilator is yet available. A-1090 Vienna Therefore, and because of the potential hazards of vasodilator treatment, stan- Austria dardized haemodynamic testing is performed prior to initiation of vasodilator treat- Keywords: Anticoagulation, calcium chan- ment.
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