Correlation Between Estimated Right Atrial Pressure and BNP in Pulmonary HTN (CRAB-PH)

Over the past decade, advancements in therapies available for pulmonary hypertension (PH) have increased life expectancy for those who qualify and receive treatment. Yet, prognostication of these patients has remained a clinical dilemma. The application of the REVEAL registry predictive algorithm provides information about estimated 1-year survival but since invasive measurements from a right heart catheterization cannot easily be repeated, it is not feasible to continually use this longitudinally to assess the disease burden. Simple tests such as BNP has been shown to be very clinically relevant in short -term and long term prognostication and seems to correspond well to the right ventricular failure. Elevated right atrial pressures, and its estimation via IVC measurements predict poor survivorship in a recent retrospective analysis. As clinical measurement of jugular venous pressure is becoming less reliable, we aim to bring point- of-care ultrasound to the outpatient setting. Point of care ultrasound is widely used in the Emergency Department and Intensive Care Unit settings. By measuring estimated right atrial pressure (eRAP) via Inferior Vena Cava (IVC) measurements at outpatient clinic visits we aim to find a correlation with the existing and widely used B-type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP), that is collected at each visit as a part of regular care. These measurements can be followed longitudinally and may aid in prognostication. Data will be collected over the period of 1 year at clinic visits. A composite endpoint (including death, hospitalizations for PH, addition of new PH specific therapy after a stabilization period of 3 months, lung transplant or atrial septostomy) will separately be collected. At the end of the data collection period, clinical data only will be collected for a additional 2 years via phone correspondence, chart review or at regular PH clinic visits.