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Therapy which may be used in conjunction with treatments of PAH
Diuretics:
Diuretics are used
to control edema. Edema
is defined as an accumulation of an excessive amount of watery fluid
in cells, tissues or serous cavities (such as the abdomen). Pulmonary
hypertension can lead to right heart failure and edema of the lower
and upper extremities and acites (edema in the abdomen). Also, edema
can be caused by high-dose calcium channel blockers. Diuretics will
cause frequent urination.
Digitalis:
Digitalis medicines (Digoxin, Lanoxin®) are used to improve the strength
and efficiency of the heart or to control the rate and rhythm of
the heartbeat. This leads to better blood circulation and reduced
swelling of hands and ankles in patients with right heart problems.
Its value for patients with PH has not yet been fully examined but
it is often used with
calcium channel blockers because CCB’s tend to weaken the pumping
effectiveness of the heart.
Oxygen:
Supplementary oxygen is sometimes prescribed for PH patients when
a patient has hypoxemia
(an inadequate amount of available oxygen in the blood) at rest
or with physical activity. Patients are considered hypoxic if their
oxygen saturation levels are consistently under 88%. Unless patients
with PH have an underlying hypoxic lung disease their normal oxygen
saturation levels are usually above 88%.
Supplementary oxygen, however,
is an important addition to treating the symptoms of a PH patient
with hypoxemia or under special conditions, such as when hospitalized
with a respiratory infection, or at high altitudes or sometimes
when traveling by air.
For information about oxygen
therapy in general, see The
American Association for Respiratory Care, Home Oxygen Therapy
and the National
Home Oxygen Patients Association
Anticoagulants (e.g. Coumadin®, Warfarin):
Blood clots are potential complications of PH. Oral anticoagulant
therapy is widely recommended for patients with PH because it probably
prolongs survival. A 15-year retrospective
review of patients treated at the Mayo Clinic showed that patients
who received warfarin lived longer than those who did not. A second
study
demonstrated 5-year survival rates of 94% among patients who received
anticoagulation, compared with 55% for patients who did not.
Recent items from the PHCentral Newsroom:
For Additional Information Visit:
- FDA Drug Search: For information about this drug and any other drug approved by the U.S. FDA – patient info sheets, label info, approval history etc.
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