Treatment of Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension at Children’s Hospital Colorado
What is pulmonary hypertension?
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare disorder of the blood vessels in the lungs. PH occurs when there is abnormally high blood pressure in the lungs, and it affects the arteries in the lungs and the right side of the heart.
Pulmonary hypertension is caused when pulmonary arteries and capillaries become narrowed, blocked or destroyed, making it harder for blood to flow through the lungs. This then raises blood pressure within the arteries in the lungs. As the pressure in the lungs rises, the heart must continue to work harder, which can cause the heart to weaken and eventually fail completely.
The difference between primary and secondary hypertension
There are two types of PH: primary and secondary. Primary pulmonary hypertension (PPH) means that there is no know cause for the pulmonary hypertension. Secondary pulmonary hypertension (SPH) occurs when there is a disease or condition that caused the pulmonary hypertension to develop. Learn more about pulmonary hypertension.
Why choose the Pulmonary Hypertension Program at Children’s Hospital Colorado
Children's Colorado hosts one of the premier pulmonary hypertension programs for children in the United States. Our primary goal is to improve your child's quality of life by focusing on early detection and treatment. Our program offers state-of-the-art diagnosis, consultation and long term follow-up care for kids with PH and their families. Treatment options include calcium channel blockers, intravenous Flolan (epoprostenol), inhaled, intravenous and subcutaneous treprostinil, Bosentan (Tracleer), Ambrisentan (Letairis), sildenafil (Revatio), tadalafil (Adcirca) and participation in clinical trial studies.
Symptoms and severity of symptoms vary among all people with pulmonary hypertension. PH is a disease that can progress over time, especially if not properly diagnosed, monitored, or treated. Although there is no cure for pulmonary hypertension, treatments are available that can help lessen symptoms and improve your child's everyday life.
Resources for families
The Pediatric Heart Lung Center at Children’s Colorado is a multidisciplinary program that provides a unique approach toward patient care, education, research and training in childhood heart and lung disease. We currently manage more than 120 patients with severe pulmonary hypertension either as a primary diagnosis (primary pulmonary hypertension) or an association with heart or lung disease (secondary pulmonary hypertension).
Get more information about PH, tests and treatments.
