title: [Dyspnoea in Patients with Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) - a Survey in Spezialized German PH Centres].
abstract: Dyspnoea is the predominant symptom in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) at diagnosis. However, since dyspnoea is nonspecific and often occurs in a number of common diseases, the presence of PH can easily be underdiagnosed.In addition, this symptom underlies a high variability in the subjective perception, therefore further diagnostic procedures are often delayed by the patients.A survey of the incidence and severity of dyspnoea in 372 patients with PAH was conducted by questionnaire in German centres. Age, sex distribution and the range of comorbidities corresponded to the findings of national and international registries.Approximately 99 % of patients reported the presence of dyspnoea on exertion, even at low loads.Remarkably, in 13 % of patients dyspnoea occurs as a paroxysmal symptom, which may lead to the differential diagnosis of bronchial asthma. In addition, the patients who were being followed in specialized PH centres reported an increase in dyspnoea during the last year.The results of the survey on the incidence of dyspnoea in patients with PAH are consistent with the findings of international studies.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Klinik für Innere Medizin B.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ewert
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum des Saarlandes/Homburg, Medizinische Klinik V.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wilkens
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Klinik für Innere Medizin II.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Skowasch
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Lübeck.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reppel
authors.affiliation: Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, Klinik für Innere Medizin B.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bollmann
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum der Technischen Universität Dresden, Medizinische Klinik I.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Halank
authors.affiliation: Missionsärztliche Klinik Würzburg, Abteilung Innere Medizin.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Held
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Klose
authors.affiliation: Abteilung Pneumologie, Medizinische Klinik II, Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg, Standort Gießen.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gall
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Regensburg, Klinik für Innere Medizin II.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.affiliation: DRK Kliniken Berlin Köpenick, Klinik für Innere Medizin, Schwerpunkt Kardiologie und Angiologie.
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Opitz
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinikum Leipzig (AöR), Abteilung Pneumologie.
authors.forename: H-J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Seyfarth
authors.affiliation: Praxis für Pneumologie/Allergologie Leipzig.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Winkler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012124:Respiratory Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012125:Respiratory Center; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult