Clinical & Experimental Cardiology
Open Access

Echocardiography approach to childhood Pulmonary Hypertension. What is the best way for initial assessment?

8^th Global Cardiologists & Echocardiography Annual Meeting

July 18-20, 2016 Berlin, Germany

Andreas C Petropoulos

Azerbaijan State Medical University, Azerbaijan

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Clin Exp Cardiolog

Abstract :

Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) in childhood is a condition of multiple etiologies with underestimated prevalence. Despite to the newer existing treatment options PH remains a progressive life limited condition. Although its gold standard diagnostic method is hemodynamic study by cardiac catheterization, the initial assessment as well as frequent follow-up is based on transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). The aim of this abstract is to focus on the best approach by using TTE in screening for, diagnosing and following up patients with a variety of etiologies, suffering from PH. We will focus on the resent (2016) proposed recommendations of the European Pediatric Pulmonary Vascular Disease Network, endorsed by ISHLT and DGPK on the use of Echocardiography to address holistically children suffering from PH. More, to highlight the most important and handy in everyday, clinical work, Echocardiography index to assess pulmonary artery pressures and biventricular systolic and diastolic function, that can improve our diagnostically and therapeutically approach towards childhood PH.

Biography :

Andreas Petropoulos graduated from Aristotle University’s Medical School, Greece in 1989. He has followed 30 years career as a medical officer, senior Flight Surgeon in the Hellenic Air-Force. He is specialized in Aviation-Hyperbaric Medicine, Pediatrics, Fetal, Pediatrics and Congenital Cardiology in USA, Europe. He holds MSc in Preventive Cardiology and a member of AEPC working groups in “Prevention” & “Heart Failure-Pulmonary Hypertension”. He worked and lectured in Athens and Brussels universities. Currently he consults in Pediatrics, Fetal. Pediatrics & Congenital Cardiology in Merkezi Klinika and is the Associate Professor at the State University and Post Graduate, CME Center in Azerbaijan. His research focuses on prevention, CVD imaging techniques, fetal cardiology and heart failure.

Email: andrepetropoulos@gmail.com