Pulmonary hypertension: a review of pathophysiology and anesthetic management

Pulmonary hypertension is a condition that can result in serious complications in patients undergoing any type of anesthesia during the perioperative period. By definition, pulmonary artery hypertension is caused by a persistent rise in mean pulmonary artery pressure ≥25 mm Hg with Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure ≤ 15 mm Hg or exercise mean pulmonary artery pressure ≥35 mm Hg and pulmonary vascular resistance ≥ 3 wood unit's. The severity of the complications depends on the severity of the underlying condition, other comorbidities, and type of procedure, anesthetic technique, and anesthetic drugs. In this article, we briefly review the pulmonary vascular physiology, pathophysiology of the disease, clinical assessment and diagnosis, treatment options, and the anesthetic management of these patients.