Diagnostic Assessment of the Pulmonary Hypertension Patient

A methodical approach to pulmonary hypertension (PH) assessment in clinical practice is critical to ensure the correct diagnosis, determine disease severity, and initiate appropriate therapy. Data from epidemiological, clinical, and survey studies suggest that practice patterns vary widely across geographic regions, hospitals, and even within the expert community despite international consensus recommendations on the appropriate strategy for PH diagnosis.1–4 This knowledge gap is an important contributor to misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, inappropriate treatment, and potentially suboptimal outcome in at-risk or affected patients.5 Therefore, a discussion on the approach to diagnosing and staging PH remains timely and important. This review will outline current understanding that informs PH clinical practice with emphasis on data gathering and interpretation at point of care.