As telemedicine continues to explode as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Temple University physicians have developed a new tool to virtually screen for pulmonary hypertension, according to the Temple University Lewis Katz School of Medicine.
The screening method uses an existing echocardiogram. Physicians analyze specific key measures in echocardiogram data, minimizing the number of in-person visits needed to diagnose pulmonary hypertension, according to Temple University.
The advance comes as physicians and patients alike work to minimize in-person visits to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. For pulmonary hypertension patients, access to a virtual screening tool is especially important, as they face elevated risk for hospitalization and death from COVID-19, according to the American College of Cardiology.
The new screening method is called the virtual echocardiography screening tool, or VEST. According to Anjali Vaidya, M.D., co-director of Temple University's Pulmonary Hypertension Program, VEST allows physicians to quickly evaluate patients for pulmonary hypertension with non-invasive echocardiogram images. Since the screening method is entirely virtual, vulnerable patients can continue to socially distance and avoid the risks associated with in-person clinic visits.
According to Vaidya, VEST makes it easier to recognize pulmonary hypertension early, which gives patients more time to access further evaluation and treatment.
Critically, VEST is effective at distinguishing between the two most common subtypes of pulmonary hypertension'pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and pulmonary hypertension due to left heart disease. Patients with PAH in particular face poor outcomes, which are exacerbated by frequently delayed diagnoses and treatment, according to Temple University.
Pulmonary hypertension is a type of high blood pressure that affects arteries in the lungs and the right side of the heart. For some pulmonary hypertension sufferers, including pulmonary arterial hypertension patients, the condition worsens over time and can become life-threatening, according to the Mayo Clinic.