Recommendations on the diagnosis and management of pulmonary hypertension during COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Pulmonary hypertension patients are extremely sensitive to intercurrent respiratory infections which can cause disease progression and bring an adverse outcome closer. The absence of specific symptoms and typical clinical manifestations of pulmonary arterial hypertension and chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension makes it difficult to verify such diagnosis in time for early specific therapy prescription. This problem becomes more significant during the COVID-19 pandemic. This review presents diagnostic algorithms for differential diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension in a patient with suspected COVID-19 infection. In this term computed tomography (CT) of the chest deserves high attention. Differential diagnostic criteria for “frosted glass” type changes at CT-scan have been developed and can be used in everyday practice. Besides this, the article describes the principles of pulmonary arterial hypertension optimal therapy choice, taking into account drug interactions and complications occurring in COVID-19 patients.