pulmonary hypertension

Can you have pulmonary hypertension if your oxygen saturations are in the 90s to a 100 Percent all the time?

[erijon]

Yes, if there is increased pressures in the pulmonary artery due to COPD or a blockage. It is easy to diagnose, have you seen your doctor?

Jon

[erijon]

Yes, if there is increased pressures in the pulmonary artery due to COPD or a blockage. It is easy to diagnose, have you seen your doctor?

Jon

[carebear31]

I was asking for my son. He is 11 months old. He has a congenital heart defect...Double Outlet Right Ventricle. He had a heart Cath done when he was 3 months old and it showed high pressures but all of his doctors dont understand why his saturations are so good. He had some complications to his leg from the cath..he actually almost lost his leg. I dont know if thats why the havent done another cath or not. Because his pressures where high in the last one, they are saying they only have one surgery option, which is very risky. I was just wondering if it is possible that his pressures could have gotten better or if something could have caused the last cath could have got wrong. do you know if anything could affect his results.

[carebear31]

sorry , i mean do you know if anything could affect the results of a heart cath?

[erijon]

Wow, that's a difficult situation. The anatomy of a newborn is so different than an adult, I don't know if I have an answer. I can't think of a way that a cath would improve his sat rate, but if his heart was strong and otherwise functioning well, perhaps it has compensated for the defect. Is his heart rate abnormally high?

I doubt if there's a need for a second cath, I don't think tyhey will find anything they didn't already know.

PM sent.

[carebear31]

No, his heart rate is usually in the 120s or not much higher or lower when he is awake. When he is sleeping it goes down to low 100s or 90s the lowest i have seen it go is like 80 or 79 but that is when he is in a DEEP sleep and it never stays that low long, it pops back up. That scared me a little when i saw it that low but his drs said that it is a resting heart rate and its normal for it to drop as long as it doesnt stay there. Hes heart rate is lower than it was when he was younger but they said that the older babies get the lower the heart rate. I was wondering if that was an accurate reading on his first cath, and if something could have affected the results. To look at my son you cant tell that his heart is that bad. he isnt blue around his lips or eyes. I also wonder if his pressures could have come down on their own. He has only had one heart cath his whole life. But like i said before he had a lot of complications to his leg from it. So i really dont know if they are willing to do another one. What confuses everyone is that his saturations and heart rate is so good. The surgery that they are going to do is very risky...and they said it is a big possibility he will not make it through. I hate to agree on it if they are only doing it because of the cath... if it in some way is not accurate. The smaller surgery can be done if his pressures are like at a 6 ...or 8 at the highest and according to the cath his was at a 14. Do you know if pulmonary hypertension can get better on its own? And, do you know if it matters what leg they use in the cath procedure? I will ask his drs tomorrow but we have not had such a great relationship with some of them and would just  like as many opinions as possible. I am currently talking to a dr. at CHOP ...Philly Childrens...i  sent my sons records to him and he too dont understand why his saturations and heart rate are so good. All of this info has just came about and i have been thinking about so many things over the weekend..i will ask ...tomorrow. I want to thank you for your opinions and comments. And would love to hear of any more you have. My sons name is Bentley and i would like you to keep him in your prayers...Thank you so much :)  <3