Recommended tests/investigations at diagnosis and follow-up of a child or adolescent with pulmonary hypertension/pulmonary hypertensive vascular disease
| Follow-up outpatient visits | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test/investigation | At first presentation/diagnosis | 3–6 monthly intervals | Every 12 months | Elective testing when indicated | Comment |
| Comprehensive medical history/interim history | • | • | |||
| Assignment to functional class | • | • | |||
| Growth variables (centiles) | • | • | |||
| Physical examination | • | • | |||
| Four limb blood pressure | • | ||||
| Pulse oximetry both arms/one leg | • | • | |||
| Electrocardiogram | • | • | |||
| Transthoracic echocardiogram | • | • | |||
| Chest X-ray | • | • | |||
| Lung function test/body plethysmography | • | • | |||
| 6 min walk test | • | • | |||
| Cardiopulmonary exercise test | • | • | |||
| Laboratory testing | • | • | According to drug treatment | ||
| NT-proBNP or BNP | • | • | • | ||
| Cardiac MRI* | • | • | *MRI at diagnosis or first presentation; indication should be discussed on an individual patient basis | ||
| Comprehensive right and left heart catheterisation (including full pulmonary vasoreagibility testing) | • | • | |||
| (High resolution) chest CT/CT angiogram* | • | • | * Diagnostic value of a pulmonary angiogram to be discussed on an individual patient basis | ||
| Polysomnography | • | ||||
| Ventilation/perfusion scan | • | ||||
BNP, brain-natriuretic peptide.