A pulmonary vasodilator or pulmonary hypertension study tests the pressures in the lungs and how responsive the vessels are to medicine.
Refer a Patient to the Interventional Cardiology Program at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
To refer a patient, doctors can:
What Causes High Pressures in the Lungs?
Some reasons that may cause a person to have high pressures in the lungs include:
- Narrowed or blocked arteries.
- Certain heart or lung diseases.
- A heart defect at birth.
- Liver disease.
- Genetics.
This high pressure can cause an increased workload on the right heart.
If severe enough, it can cause symptoms such as:
- Shortness of breath.
- Fatigue.
- Chest pain.
- Passing out.
- Swelling of the ankles or belly.
The Heart Catheterization Lab at UPMC Children's Hospital offers this special study.
It tells us if taking specific pills would help bring the pressures in the lungs down to a normal level.
