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Inhaled Ventavis® (iloprost) Inhalation Solution Breathe In Your Second Chance For Patients with Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension with NYHA Class III or IV Symptoms
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PAH Diagnosis - Signs and Tests

Initial evaluation

It is difficult to make a pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) diagnosis based just on symptoms, and there is no single test that confirms whether someone has the disease. An initial evaluation usually includes a medical history, physical exam, and blood tests.

Physical Exam for Pulmonary Hypertension Signs:

  • Heart sounds
  • Fluid buildup
  • Signs of poor circulation

Testing Blood for Signs of PAH:

  • Oxygenation1
  • Excess blood cells

Additional PAH testing

In addition to ruling out other conditions, additional tests can provide important information about exercise capacity, symptoms, and the function of your lungs:

  • 6-minute walk distance
  • Pulmonary function class testing
  • Cardiopulmonary exercise testing1
  • Borg dyspnea test

Diagnostic tests

Diagnostic tests are given to find typical signs of PAH (pulmonary arterial hypertension).1:

  • Chest x-rays
  • Doppler echocardiograms ("echo")
  • Right heart catheterization
  • Electrocardiogram (ECG)
  • Laboratory tests

Signs of PAH that can be found on a chest x-ray:
  • Cardiac enlargement
  • Prominent pulmonary artery near the heart

Signs of PAH that can be found on an echocardiogram with doppler:

  • Right heart growth
  • Flattening of intraventricular septum
  • Small, D-shaped left ventricle1

Right heart catheterization—diagnostic gold standard2

The "right heart cath" is considered the only way to make pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) a definitive diagnosis. The test allows your physician to see the inside of the chambers in the right side of your heart and to directly measure pressures in the pulmonary arteries.

Read about:

  • What is PAH?
  • Signs and Symptoms
  • Treating PAH
  • Living with PAH
  • PAH Learning Center
  • Useful Links

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    IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION:
    Because it lowers your blood pressure, Ventavis may cause dizziness, lightheadedness, and fainting. With Ventavis, the most common side effects are reddening of the face caused by dilation of blood vessels (flushing), increased cough, low blood pressure (hypotension), headaches, nausea, spasm of the jaw muscles that causes trouble opening your mouth, and fainting (syncope); other serious adverse events reported with the use of Ventavis include congestive heart failure, chest pain, supraventricular tachycardia, dyspnea, peripheral edema, and kidney failure. Before you start taking Ventavis, talk to your doctor to make sure you understand the side effects you might get.

    1. Gaine S, et al. Seminar: primary pulmonary hypertension. Lancet. 1998;352:719-25.
    2. McLaughlin V, McGoon M. Pulmonary arterial hypertension. Circulation. 2006;114:1417-1431.

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