PH Clinical Quick Reference Guide
Glossary of Abbreviations:
6MWD/6MWT: six-minute walk test/six-minute walking distance
ABGs: arterial blood gases
ACC: American College of Cardiology
AHA: American Heart Association
ANA: antinuclear antibody
APAH: Associated pulmonary arterial hypertension
ASAT/ALAT: aspartate amino transferase/alanine amino transferase
BGA: blood gas analysis
BNP: brain natriuretic peptide
CBC: complete blood count
CCB: calcium channel blocker
CHD: congenital heart disease
Cpc-PH: combined post-capillary and pre-capillary PH
CPET: cardiopulmonary exercise test
CT: computed tomography
CTD: connective tissue disease
CTEPH: chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension
CXR: chest x-ray
DPAH: drug-induced pulmonary arterial hypertension
DPG: 2,3-Diphosphoglyceric acid
ECG: electrocardiogram
Echo: echocardiogram
ERA: endothelin receptor antagonist
ESC: European Society of Cardiology
ERS: European Respiratory Society
HIV: human immunodeficiency virus
HPAH: heritable pulmonary arterial hypertension
HTN: hypertension
INR: international normalized ratio
IPAH: idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension
Ipc-PH: isolated post-capillary PH
LFT: liver function test
mmHg: millimeters of mercury
mPAP: mean pulmonary artery pressure
NT-proBNP: N-terminal pro B-type natriuretic peptide
PA: pulmonary artery
PAH: pulmonary arterial hypertension
PAOP: pulmonary artery occlusion pressure
PCA: prostacyclin analogues
PE: pulmonary embolism
PFT: pulmonary function test
PH: pulmonary hypertension
PVR: pulmonary vascular resistance
RA: rheumatoid arthritis
RAE: right atrial enlargement
RAP: right atrial pressure
RH Cath/RHC: right heart catheterization
RV: right ventricular
RVE: right ventricular enlargement
RVSP: right ventricular systolic pressure
SLE: systemic lupus erythematosus
SSc: Systemic sclerosis (“scleroderma”)
SSc-APAH: Systemic sclerosis (“scleroderma”)-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension
SvO2: mixed venous oxygen saturation
TEE: transesophageal echocardiography
TTE: transthoracic echocardiography
TSH: thyroid stimulating hormone
VE/VCO2: ventilation/carbon dioxide production slope
VHD: valvular heart disease
V/Q Scan: ventilation/perfusion scintigram (“scan”)
WHO: World Health Organization
WHO FC: World Health Organization functional class
Table 1
Classes of recommendations
| Classes of recommendations |
Definition | Suggested wording to use |
|---|---|---|
| Class I | Evidence and/or general agreement that a given treatment or procedure is beneficial, useful, effective. | Is recommended/is indicated |
| Class II | Conflicting evidence and/or a divergence of opinion about the usefulness/efficacy of the given treatment or procedure. | |
| Class IIa | Weight of evidence/opinion is in favour of usefulness/efficacy. | Should be considered |
| Class IIb | Usefulness/efficacy is less well established by evidence/opinion. | May be considered |
| Class III | Evidence or general agreement that the given treatment or procedure is not useful/effective, and in some cases may be harmful. | Is not recommended |
Table 2
Level of evidence
| Level of evidence A | Data derived from multiple randomized clinical trials or meta-analyses. |
| Level of evidence B | Data derived from a single randomized clinical trial or large non-randomized studies. |
| Level of evidence C |
Consensus of opinion of the experts and/or small studies, retrospective studies, registries. |
Gailè N, et al. ESC/ERS Guidelines. Eur Heart J. 2016;37(1):67-119.