What Are the Treatments for PPH?

Pulmonary arteries carry blood from the heart to the lungs.明白な理由なしに肺動脈で血圧が非常に高い場合、この状態はPPHまたは原発性肺高血圧症として知られています。 It is a rare condition; in the United States only about 500 to 1,000 new cases are discovered each year. Its exact cause has not been determined, in part due to how infrequently it occurs.

1. 説明

   • Abnormally high pulmonary blood pressure, or hypertension, is associated with changes in tiny capillaries in the lungs. Healthy capillaries have an inner lining that keeps the blood from leaking out. The muscle cells on the outer part of the capillaries allow them to expand and contract as blood passes through. In PPH, the inner lining starts coming off, causing the blood to escape into the muscles. The muscles then contract, elevating blood pressure.

   症状

   • The symptoms of PPH surface very slowly, making the disease difficult to treat. Early on, a victim may experience fatigue or weariness, followed by breathing problems. Dizziness is a symptom of PPH but may also be indicative of some other ailment. Symptoms are swelling in the lower extremities and bluish discoloration of the skin. These symptoms may be related to some other type of malady--heart disease, for example. PPH is categorized as a lung disease even though it involves the heart.

   評価と治療

   • PPH患者の治療は、この分野で専門知識を持つ医療施設で行われるべき最初の評価で発見されたものに大きく依存します。 Pulmonary arterial pressure is evaluated before treatment can begin.

     Treatments focus on the dilating--or relaxation--of blood vessels in the lungs, and they vary depending on the individual.当初、医師は各患者に合わせて治療を調整するために、さまざまなモダリティ（一般的なパターンに準拠する傾向があるか、特定のグループまたはカテゴリに属する傾向があります）を試みます。 Then, as treatment progresses, doctors may make changes as the patient's condition changes.

     A class of medication known as calcium channel blockers lowers blood pressure by preventing calcium from getting into the cells. This has the effect of relaxing and widening capillaries so that blood can more easily pass through them. If calcium channel blockers are not working well, intravenous delivery of prostacyclin--a vasodilator--may help dilate capillaries. Doctors use a portable device for continuous delivery of this substance. They also may use delivery of prostacyclin as an interim method before initiating a transplant--either lung, or heart and lung. These are last-resort measures to handle PPH.

     抗凝固剤と利尿薬は、この病気の治療に役立つ可能性があります。これは、凝固した特性が血流を促進し、利尿薬が心臓への液体の負担を軽減するため、利尿薬の治療に役立つ可能性があります。 If the patient is having breathing problems, administering oxygen has definite benefits. Some patients need it 24 hours a day.