title: Echocardiographic assessment of pulmonary hypertension: standard operating procedure.
abstract: Patients with suspected pulmonary hypertension (PH) should be evaluated using a multimodality approach to ensure that they receive a correct diagnosis. The series of investigations required includes clinical evaluation, noninvasive imaging techniques and right heart catheterisation (considered to be the "gold standard" for the diagnosis of PH). Current guidelines recommend that a detailed echocardiographic assessment is performed in all patients with suspected PH. In this review we summarise a protocol adopted by the National Pulmonary Hypertension Centres of UK and Ireland and approved by the British Society of Echocardiography for the evaluation of these patients. The views and measurements described are recommended for diagnosis, assisting in prognosis and providing a noninvasive means of following disease progression or response to therapy.
authors.affiliation: National Pulmonary Hypertension Service, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK. l.howard@imperial.ac.uk
authors.forename: Luke S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grapsa
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bellamy
authors.forename: John B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Chambers
authors.forename: Navroz D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Masani
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nihoyannopoulos
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simon R Gibbs
mesh_terms: D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler / Q000592:standards*; D018618:Echocardiography, Doppler, Color / Q000592:standards; D065627:Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension; D019983:Guideline Adherence / Q000592:standards; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016278:Ventricular Function, Right