Andreas C Petropoulos
Azerbaijan State Medical University, Azerbaijan
Title: Echocardiography approach to childhood Pulmonary Hypertension. What is the best way for initial assessment?
Biography
Biography: Andreas C Petropoulos
Abstract
Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) in childhood is a condition of multiple etiologies with underestimated prevalence. Despite to the newer existing treatment options PH remains a progressive life limited condition. Although its gold standard diagnostic method is hemodynamic study by cardiac catheterization, the initial assessment as well as frequent follow-up is based on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). The aim of this abstract is to focus on the best approach by using TTE in screening for, diagnosing and following up patients with a variety of etiologies, suffering from PH. We will focus on the resent (2016) proposed recommendations of the European Pediatric Pulmonary Vascular Disease Network, endorsed by ISHLT and DGPK on the use of Echocardiography to address holistically children suffering from PH. More, to highlight the most important and handy in everyday, clinical work, Echocardiography index to assess pulmonary artery pressures and biventricular systolic and diastolic function, that can improve our diagnostically and therapeutically approach towards childhood PH
