Does pulmonary hypertension require oxygen therapy?

Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
Updated on February 06, 2025
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Whether pulmonary arterial hypertension requires oxygen therapy primarily depends on the patient's blood oxygen saturation level at rest. Generally, it is recommended to measure the oxygen saturation for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Due to intrapulmonary shunting and shunting between the left and right heart during pulmonary arterial hypertension, arterial and venous blood mix directly, resulting in very low blood oxygen saturation in patients. Generally speaking, if the measured blood oxygen saturation at rest is below 90%, such patients often need oxygen therapy. Even if it does not drop below 90%, patients with moderate to severe pulmonary arterial hypertension also require oxygen therapy. Oxygen therapy can improve hypoxia, significantly dilating the pulmonary vessels and thus alleviating symptoms of high pulmonary artery pressure. It is very valuable for improving patient prognosis and survival time.

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Written by Zeng Wei Jie
Cardiology
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Pulmonary hypertension belongs to which department?

Pulmonary hypertension is a relatively complex disease with many types, and the department to which a patient should go depends on the type. For example, patients with idiopathic pulmonary hypertension often need to visit the department of cardiology. Similarly, pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart disease also falls under the jurisdiction of cardiology. However, if the pulmonary hypertension is related to hypoxia, these patients typically belong to the department of respiratory medicine. Furthermore, there are cases of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension, where patients can be seen either in cardiology or respiratory medicine. Therefore, answering which department pulmonary hypertension belongs to is a complex issue that requires classification based on the cause of the disease.

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Written by Zeng Wei Jie
Cardiology
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How is pulmonary hypertension measured?

There are usually two methods to measure pulmonary arterial hypertension. One is through echocardiography to estimate, by measuring the speed of tricuspid regurgitation and then calculating the systolic pressure of the pulmonary artery through a formula. This method may overestimate or underestimate, hence its accuracy is not reliable. The gold standard is measuring pulmonary artery pressure via right heart catheterization. The downside of this gold standard is that it is an invasive procedure, which needs to be performed in a catheterization room; compared to ultrasound, it is also more costly. These are the two methods, each with its pros and cons. We need to choose based on the patient's situation.

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Written by Tang Li
Cardiology
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Pulmonary hypertension is treated by which department?

Pulmonary arterial hypertension is a common clinical condition with complex causes, and depending on the cause, patients may visit different departments. The common causes of pulmonary arterial hypertension include the following. The first type is venous pulmonary hypertension, which is caused by diseases of the left heart system. Patients with this condition need to visit the department of cardiology, mainly to control heart failure. The second type is chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension. The main reasons include thromboembolism in the proximal or distal pulmonary arteries, or due to tumors, parasites, foreign bodies, etc., leading to pulmonary embolism. Diseases of this type require visits to the respiratory department. Additionally, chronic pulmonary heart disease, such as heart failure caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, sleep breathing disorders, and hypoventilation lesions, also lead to pulmonary arterial hypertension and should be treated in the respiratory department. Furthermore, some rheumatic immune diseases and congenital heart diseases can also cause pulmonary arterial hypertension. As pulmonary arterial hypertension has gradually received more attention, some hospitals have established specialized outpatient clinics for pulmonary arterial hypertension.

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Written by Yuan Qing
Pulmonology
1min 1sec home-news-image

Does pulmonary hypertension require oxygen therapy?

Whether pulmonary arterial hypertension requires oxygen therapy primarily depends on the patient's blood oxygen saturation level at rest. Generally, it is recommended to measure the oxygen saturation for patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension. Due to intrapulmonary shunting and shunting between the left and right heart during pulmonary arterial hypertension, arterial and venous blood mix directly, resulting in very low blood oxygen saturation in patients. Generally speaking, if the measured blood oxygen saturation at rest is below 90%, such patients often need oxygen therapy. Even if it does not drop below 90%, patients with moderate to severe pulmonary arterial hypertension also require oxygen therapy. Oxygen therapy can improve hypoxia, significantly dilating the pulmonary vessels and thus alleviating symptoms of high pulmonary artery pressure. It is very valuable for improving patient prognosis and survival time.

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Written by Di Zhi Yong
Cardiology
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Where can moxibustion be applied for pulmonary hypertension?

If the patient has pulmonary arterial hypertension, it is advisable for the patient to actively monitor their blood pressure changes sometimes. This type of pulmonary arterial hypertension may sometimes require drug treatment. The disease primarily manifests as the patient experiencing coughing, phlegm production, palpitations after activity, shortness of breath, and occasionally accompanied by difficulty breathing, especially worsening at night. Sometimes there may also be swelling in the lower extremities. Regarding Traditional Chinese Medicine, herbal medicine, and acupuncture, these treatments can relieve symptoms. However, pulmonary arterial hypertension can sometimes further develop into cor pulmonale, which is irreversible. In such cases, it is recommended to be hospitalized for infusion therapy.