Competencies in pulmonary procedures.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Cesar Keller.
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In 120 patients with severe emphysema evaluated for participation in the National Emphysema Treatment Trial, pulmonary hemodynamics and ventricular function were assessed. Pulmonary function tests were (%predicted): FEV(1) = 27%; residual volume = 224.6%; diffusion capacity = 26.7%. In 90.8% of patients, end-expiratory pulmonary artery mean pressure was > 20 mm Hg; in 61.4%, end-expiratory wedge pressure was > 12 mm Hg. Cardiac index was normal. Mean pulmonary artery pressure correlated inversely with arterial PO(2), and severity of emphysema, and directly with wedge pressure. Multiple stepwise regression revealed that arterial PO(2) was not an independent predictor of mean pulmonary artery pressure. No correlation was found between indices of emphysema severity and PA pressures. Diastolic ventricular pressures were increased without evidence of systolic dysfunction. We conclude that (1) elevations of pulmonary vascular pressures are common, (2) pulmonary hypertension may be related to factors other than hypoxia, (3) pulmonary hypertension does not impair resting systemic O(2) delivery, and (4) elevated cardiac diastolic pressures do not represent systolic dysfunction.
Pulmonary hypertension is a well-recognized complication of connective tissue diseases (CTD), with clinical symptoms typically limited to those with relatively advanced disease. The objective of this study was to identify patients with early pulmonary vasculature changes using cardiopulmonary exercise testing with pulmonary artery catheterization. Four patients with CTD and normal Doppler echocardiogram results identified as high risk for pulmonary hypertension on the basis of disease process underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing with pulmonary artery catheterization. All patients had normal mean pulmonary artery pressures at rest (<25 mmHg), but exhibited an abnormal rise in mean pulmonary artery pressure with exercise. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing should be considered in patients at high risk for pulmonary hypertension to identify those individuals who may benefit from early therapeutic intervention.