Pulmonary artery hypertension: A bedside review

Abstract

Pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) is a rare progressive disease affecting pulmonary arterial vasculature and the right side of the heart. The disease is notorious for its ominous course and high accelerated rates of mortality. Due to its varied etiology, it requires stepwise evaluation to differentiate various causes of PAH. With the advent of new drugs and improved registry-based data, there has been a global effort to reduce the morbidity and mortality of this disease. Therefore, all efforts should be made for quick diagnosis and uniform workup to reach the etiologic and hemodynamic diagnosis. There is a need of specialized PAH clinics and PAH specialists to cater to the needs of these patients who require multidisciplinary clinical care. This review aims to discuss the important aspects of the disease and its management in a ward round scenario as a case-based discussion format to put emphasis on the recent guidelines and classification.