Editorial

Diuresis in the Setting of Right Heart Failure: A New Look at an Old Problem

Authors: Srinivas Subramanian, MD

Abstract

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is defined as a mean pulmonary artery pressure greater than 25 mm Hg at rest or 30 mm Hg with exercise, as measured by right heart catheterization.1 Pulmonary hypertension can be classified as either primary pulmonary hypertension or idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension (IPAH) and secondary pulmonary hypertension. More recently the World Health Organization (WHO) instituted a classification based on etiology: groups 1–5.2

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References

1.Barst RJ, McGoon M, Torbicki A, et al. Diagnosis and differential assessment of pulmonary arterial hypertension. J Am Coll Cardiol 2004;43(12 suppl S):40S–47S.
 
2.Simonneau G, Galie N, Rubin LJ, et al. Clinical classification of pulmonary hypertension. J Am Coll Cardiol 2004;43(12 suppl S):5S–12S.
 
3.Voelkel NF, Quaife RA, Leinwand LA, et al. Right ventricular function and failure: report of a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute working group on cellular and molecular mechanisms of right heart failure. Circulation 2006;114:1883–1891.
 
4.Brenot F. Primary pulmonary hypertension. Case series from France. Chest 1994;105(suppl 2):33S–36S.
 
5.D'Alonzo GE, Barst RJ, Ayres SM, et al. Survival in patients with primary pulmonary hypertension. Ann Intern Med 1991;115:343–349.
 
6.Berez PB. The successful use of phosphodiesterase Type 5 inhibitors to treat the syndrome of cor pulmonale and prerenal azotemia with diuresis of anasarca (CorPRADA). South Med J 2010;103:116–120.