title: Pulmonary Hypertension and Pulmonary Vasodilators.
abstract: Pulmonary hypertension in the perinatal period can present acutely (persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn) or chronically. Clinical and echocardiographic diagnosis of acute pulmonary hypertension is well accepted but there are no broadly validated criteria for echocardiographic diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension later in the clinical course, although there are significant populations of infants with lung disease at risk for this diagnosis. Contributing cardiovascular comorbidities are common in infants with pulmonary hypertension and lung disease. It is not clear who should be treated without confirmation of pulmonary vascular disease by cardiac catheterization, with concurrent evaluation of any contributing cardiovascular comorbidities.
authors.affiliation: Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital, University of California San Francisco, Box 0734, 550 16th Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA. Electronic address: kellerr@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Roberta L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Keller
mesh_terms: D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D004452:Echocardiography; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D065630:Hernias, Diaphragmatic, Congenital / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D010547:Persistent Fetal Circulation Syndrome / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014655:Vascular Resistance; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D014665:Vasodilator Agents
keywords: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia; Congenital diaphragmatic hernia; Echocardiography; Persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn; Pulmonary vascular disease; Pulmonary vascular resistance