20 facts about pulmonary vascular disease for a poster board including pictures with details
Presentation on Pulmonary Vasculature
Student’s Name
Institution Affiliation
Course
Date
Introduction: Pulmonary Vasculature
• Pulmonary Vasculature refers to the blood vessel network
connecting the lungs and the heart.
• The network transports oxygenated and deoxygenated blood.
• This system well designed to work under changes in
characteristics of the blood is transports.
• Nonetheless, various infirmities may impair this system’s
correct functioning.
Anatomic Alterations of the Lungs
• Anatomic alterations of the lungs may lead to infirmities related
with the respiratory system.
• Blood clots are among agents for anatomic alterations of the
lungs.
• Thrombus are blood clots that form in the veins.
• When a thrombus detaches and flows to other body organs, it’s
called an embolism.
Pulmonary Embolism (PE)
• Pulmonary embolism is a form of venous thromboembolic diseases.
• It can be caused by a diverse number of inherited or acquired risk factors.
• Causes can be:
• A deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
• Air bubbles.
• Fat embolus
• Tumors
• Amniotic fluid
• Small masses of infectious material.
Cardiopulmonary Manifestations of PE
• Cardiopulmonary manifestations associated with PE vary.
• Majorly, common symptoms may include:
• Sharp and sudden chest pain
• Shortness of breath
• Blood-streaked sputum in cough.
• Fainting or feeling dizzy.
• Leg pain and swelling.
Diagnosis and Screening of PE
• General management of PE involve the diagnosis and screening.
• Diagnosis begins by identifying manifestations as shown earlier.
• This is followed by a variety of tests and screening exercises.
• Decisions are then made on the clinical probability through a scoring
system.
• These steps aid in the confirming the suspected occurrence of a PE.
Pulmonary Hypertension (PH)
• This condition impairs arteries in the lungs and the heart’s right side.
• It is a form of high blood pressure whereby the pressure in the blood
vessels to the lungs is extremely high.
• Narrowed blood vessels in the lungs restrict blood from flowing well.
• The heart is forced to work harder to pump blood, this can damage the
heart and cause pulmonary hypertension.
Clinical Classifications of Pulmonary
Hypertension
• There are five distinct classification of pulmonary hypertension.
• They include:
• Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
• PH due to left-sided heart disease.
• PH due to chronic lung disease
• Chronic thromboembolic PH (CTEPH).
• PH with an unclear and/or multifactorial mechanisms.
Diagnosis for Pulmonary Hypertension
• Diagnosis for pulmonary hypertension begins with a medical history and
physical exam.
• These seek to highlight the risk factors one may have.
• After a physical exam, diagnostic tests are used to confirm diagnosis of
PH.
• Common diagnostic tests are cardiac catheterization and
echocardiography.
Pulmonary Hypertension Severity Rating
• PH severity rating assessment is based on mean pulmonary artery pressure
(mPAP).
• This rating can be categorized as mild, moderate and severe depending on
a mean value.
• For instance, 25-40mmHg is a mild mPAP value while 41-55mmHg is a
moderate value.
Left-sided Heart Failure
• There are two types of left-sided heart failure; systolic and diastolic failure.
• Diastolic failure is concerned with the left ventricle not relaxing properly.
• Systolic failure is concerned with the left ventricle not contracting normally.
• Left-sided heart failure highly common compared to the right-sided one.
• Symptoms include:
• Trouble breathing
• Shortness of breath
Right-sided Heart Failure
• This involves the heart’s right ventricle lack of pumping power.
• This may lead to blood backing up into the veins.
• Such backing up of blood may cause fluid retention and swelling.
• Common sing include:
• Chest discomfort and shortness of breath.
• Fluid retention is one the hallmark symptoms.
Respiratory Therapist
• This is a healthcare practitioner trained in pulmonary medicine.
• Their work is evaluating, monitoring and treating health issues associated
with breathing and the lungs.
• These therapists help manage breathing conditions in varying healthcare
settings.
Treatments for Acute Pulmonary
Embolism
• Acute PE can be treated using medicine, surgery or ongoing care.
• Treatment is mainly aimed at preventing formation of new clots.
• Treatment is also aimed at preventing small thrombi from getting bigger.
• Medicine to treat PE include blood thinners and clot dissolvers.
• Surgical procedures include clot removal and vein filter.
Treatment for Acute Pulmonary
Hypertension
• Treating pulmonary hypertension will depend on the classification of PH.
• Individuals with PAH are majorly treated using various targeted therapies
starting with heart catheterization.
• Patients with PH due to left heart disease require their comorbid
conditions optimized.
• Those with PH due to lung disease should focus on managing underlying
lung disease.
Treatment for Acute Pulmonary
Hypertension
• Curative therapy for patients with CTEPH begin with a pulmonary
endarterectomy.
• Whereas, little has been explored about many etiologies in multifactorial
PH.
• Other general therapy considerations exist. They include:
• Immunization
• Contraception
• Mental health and patient education
Conclusion
• In conclusion, pulmonary vasculature refers to a network of blood vessels
connecting the heart and lungs.
• Pulmonary embolism, pulmonary infarction and pulmonary hypertension
are among infirmities that may affect the pulmonary vasculature.
• Various diagnostic test and screening can be used to diagnose pulmonary
infirmities.
• Once an infirmity is confirmed, treatment is recommended with respect to
the particular disease identified.
References
American Thoracic Society. (2018). Pulmonary Embolism.
https://www.thoracic.org/patients/patient-resources/resources/pulmonaryembolism.pdf
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Pulmonary Hypertension.
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/pulmonary_hypertension.htm
Dunlap, B. & Weyer, G. (2016). Pulmonary Hypertension: Diagnosis and
Treatment. Am Fam Physician. 2016:94(6):463-469.
https://www.aafp.org/pubs/afp/issues/2016/0915/p463.html#afp20160915p463-b14
References
Fogoros, R. N. (2021). Causes and Risk Factors of Pulmonary Embolism.
Verywell health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/causes-and-risk-factors-ofpulmonary-embolus-4163817#citation-2
Sysol, J. R. & Machado, R. F. (2018). Classificatio and Pathophysiology of
Pulmonary Hypertension. Wiley Online Library.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/cce2.71
References
Turetz, M., Sideris, A. T., Friedman, O. A., Triphathi, N., & Horowitz, J. M.
(2018). Epidemiology, Pathophysiology, and Natural History of Pulmonary
Embolism. Seminars in interventional radiology, 35(2), 92–98.
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0038-1642036
Yetman, D. (2021). What are the Differences Between Left- vs. Right-Sided
heart Failure. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/heartfailure/left-vs-right-sided-heart-failure