Monitoring
Patients being treated for IPAH should be monitored closely, with regular re-evaluations (depending on clinical stability and patient needs) to assess treatment goals.
Medical assessment including WHO functional classification, 6-minute walk test, blood tests including B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP)/N-terminal proBNP (NT-proBNP), and ECG should be done at every follow-up visit.[3] Use of Doppler echocardiography should be individualised. Practice varies widely with regards to repeat invasive haemodynamic measurements. As parameters such as cardiac index and mixed venous oxygen saturation are highly associated with prognosis after the onset of therapy, follow-up right heart catheterisation should be strongly considered for most patients, depending on the clinical circumstances.[102] If treatment goals are not met, changes to medical therapy or evaluation for lung transplantation should be considered.
Use of this content is subject to our disclaimer