Pulmonary Hypertension: Beyond the Swan Ganz Catheter

Diagnostic Tests• BNP– Increased pulmonary vascular resistance leads toraised pulmonary artery pressures and an increasedworkload for the right heart• Rise in proportion to extent of RV dysfunction– Natriuretic peptide system is activated as a sign ofneurohumoral activation in PHTH of differentetiologies.• Primary pulmonary hypertension• NOT PHTN from Eisenmenger’s– BNP > 150 pg/mL upon initial screening or increases inlevels upon further screening => mortality