Right heart catheterization for pulmonary hypertension during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on the management of pulmonary hypertension

The coronavirus of 2019 (COVID-19) disrupted delivery of healthcare. Patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH), especially pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), require significant resources for both diagnosis and management and are at high risk for decompensation due to disruption in their care. A survey consisting of 47 questions related to the care of patients with PH was designed by the American College of Chest Physicians 2020-2021 Pulmonary Vascular Disease (PVD) NetWork Steering Committee and sent to all members of the PVD NetWork, as well as the multiple other professional networks for PH. Participation was voluntary and anonymous. Responses were collected from November 2020 through February 2021. Ninety-five providers responded to this survey. The majority (93%) believe that care of PH patients has been affected by the pandemic. Sixty-seven percent observed decreased referrals for PH evaluation. Prior to the pandemic, only 15% used telemedicine for management of PH patients compared to 84% during the pandemic. Telemedicine was used most for follow up of selected low-risk patients (49%). While 22% respondents were completely willing to prescribe new PAH therapy via telemedicine, 11% respondents were completely unwilling. Comfort levels differed based on type of medication being prescribed. Over 90% of providers experienced disruptions in obtaining testing and 31% experienced disruptions in renewal or approval of medications. Overall, providers perceived that the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruption of care for PH patients. Telemedicine utilization increased but was used mostly in low-risk patients. Some providers had a decreased level of comfort prescribing PAH therapy via telemedicine encounters.

Risk assessment in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension in the era of COVID 19 pandemic and the telehealth revolution: State of the art review

Patients affected by pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) benefit from intensive, continuous clinical monitoring to guide escalation of treatments that carry the potential to improve survival and quality of life. During the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, the need for physical distancing has fueled the expeditious expansion of various telehealth modalities, which may apply in a unique manner to individuals with PAH. Performance of objective risk assessments in patients with PAH remotely via telemedical visits and other telehealth mechanisms is unprecedented and not yet rigorously validated. The uniquely high risk for rapid deterioration in patients with PAH demands a high degree of sensitivity to detect changes in functional assessments. In this review, several telehealth modalities for potential utilization in risk assessment and treatment titration in patients with PAH are explored, yet additional study is needed for their validation with the pre-pandemic care paradigm.