Leading the Way in Pulmonary Hypertension Care
Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare but serious condition that affects the blood vessels and heart. Parents can take comfort in knowing Children's Hospital Colorado has been at the forefront of research, diagnosis and treatment of PH for more than 15 years.
PH can occur in children of all ages, from newborns to adolescents. The condition causes narrowing of the blood vessels in the lungs, which raises blood pressure because the blood vessels have to work harder to maintain blood flow. As blood pressure rises, the right chamber of the heart may become enlarged due to added strain. If left untreated, the condition can lead to heart failure.
“PH often is a silent disease,” said Steven H. Abman, MD, Director of the Pediatric Heart Lung Center at Children’s and Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. “Some early symptoms may be present, such as shortness of breath, dizziness or fainting, but the disease also may progress without many signs at all.”
Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment
Physicians classify PH by cause. The primary (or idiopathic) type arises with no known cause while secondary PH is caused by or occurs along with chronic lung disease or congenital heart problems.
Early diagnosis of PH is crucial but can be difficult because the symptoms often resemble those of other conditions, such as asthma or pneumonia. If your child demonstrates or complains of fatigue, weakness, chest pain, swelling in the legs or any of the aforementioned symptoms, contact your child’s pediatrician or family physician who can evaluate him or her and provide a referral to a pediatric specialist at Children’s, if necessary.
PH is generally diagnosed using heart tracings, echocardiograms (EKGs) or ultrasounds, and if the disease is confirmed, chest X-rays, blood tests and cardiac catheterization may be used to pinpoint the cause and determine its severity. Several medications, including calcium channel blockers, sildenafil, endothelin receptor blockers, rostacyclin and others may be prescribed to treat PH.
A Team Approach to Care
Children’s is home to the first comprehensive Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension Program in the country, and it’s our multidisciplinary team approach to the disease that makes us so successful.
“Our team approach is unique because it involves physicians of diverse specialties, including pulmonologists, cardiologists, intensivists, neonatologists and others,” Dr. Abman said. “Our research also sets us apart by allowing us to stay on the cusp of new developments and treatments.”
For more information search our site for more information on Pulmonary Hypertension and Pediatric Heart Lung Center.
Fast Fact
One of Children's Hospital Colorado’s most important contributions to the treatment of pulmonary hypertension (PH) occurred in 1991, when the research team discovered that small doses of nitric oxide — a molecule found in the body — can help newborns with PH avoid the need for a bypass procedure to treat the condition.
