Term 
        
        | AVOID; significant negative inotropic effects |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
         | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Amlodipine, Nifedipine, Felodipine, Isradipine, Nicardipine |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
         | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
         | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Long-acting nifedipine, Diltiazem, Amlodipine |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Inhibits the influx of extracellular calcium across myocardial and smooth muscle cell membranes leading to VASODILATION |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Primarily affects arteriolar vasculature; no significant effect on sinus node function or cardiac conduction |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Amlodipine (Norvasc) and Nifedipine (Procardia XL) |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Due to gradual onset, reflex tachycardia does not occur as with other dihydropyridines |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Dilation of pulmonary and systemic arteries; decreased peripheral resistance, systemic BP, and afterload; increased pulmonary blood flow |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Dosing: 2.5-20 mg orally daily |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Dosing: 120-180 mg orally daily, initially; titrate to clinical response |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Dosing: 180 mg orally daily, initially; titrate to clinical response |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Doses up to 720 mg have been used |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Dosing: only use long acting formulations in PH; 30-240 mg orally daily |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Nifedipine (Procardia XL) |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Common side effects: H/A, flushing, hypotension, peripheral edema, constipation; Serious: Hypotension, syncope, right ventricular faiure |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Block endothelin receptors on vascular endothelium and smooth muscle |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Endothelin Receptor Antagonists (Can be used alone or in combo with CCBs) |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Treatment of PH; to improve exercise capacity and decrease the rate of clinical deterioration (Endothelin Receptor Antagonists) |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Ambrisentan (letairis); Bosentan (Tracleer) |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Initial Dosing: 5 mg orally daily; If tolerated may increased to max 10 mg once daily; selective for endothelin-A receptor |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Initial Dosing: 62.5 mg orally twice daily for 4 weeks, increase to maintenance dose of 125 mg twice daily, adults less than 40 kg should be maintained at 62.5 mg twice daily (nonselective endothelin receptor antagonist (A and B) |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Adverse Reactions: Edema, Palpitation and Flushing, headache, hemoglobin decrease, hepatotoxicity, transaminases increase, respiratory tract congestion/infection |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Endothelin Receptor Antagonists |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Adverse Reactions: Spermatogenesis inhibition (25%) |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Contraindications for use of Endothelin Receptor Antagonists |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Only available through a limited distribution program; prescribers and pharmacies must be registered with these programs to prescribe and dispense these medications |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Bosentan (Tracleer) and Ambrisentan (Letairis) |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Patient may be switched from Bosentan to this if liver function test abnormalities arise |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Bosentan Drug Interactions |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Contraceptives; Cyclosporine; Glyburide |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | may be taken with food; do not crush or chew this medication; report unusual fatigue, N/V, abdominal pain and/or yellowing of the skin/eyes to prescribe immediately; do not get pregnant while taking this medication |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Bosentan (Tracleer) Counseling points |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Sildenafile (Revatio) and Tadalafil (Adcirca) |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Increased cGMP concentration results in pulmonary vasculature relaxation; vasodilation in the pulmonary bed and the systemic circulation (to a lesser degree) may occur |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Treatment of PH (WHO Group I) to improve exercise ability and delay clinical worsening |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Dosing: 20 mg orally 3 times/day, taken 4-6 hours apart |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Dosing?: 40 mg orally once daily; may need dosing adjustments with CYP 3A4 inhibitors |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Adverse Reactions include HA, Dyspepsia, Flushing, Pyrexia, Diarrhea, UTIs, Increased LFTs, Myalgia, abnormal vision, Epistaxis, Nasal congestion |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | PDE-5 Inhibitors Contraindications |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Hypersensitivity to sildenafil or tadalafil; concurrent use of organic nitrates in any form (nitroglycerin, isosorbide dinitrate) |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
         | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Epoprostenol, Treprostinil, Iloprost |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Strong vasodilator of all vascular beds; decreases thrombogenesis by inhibiting platelet aggregation |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Intial Dosing: 1-2 ng/kg/minute, increase dose in increments of 1-2 ng/kg/minute every 15 minutes or longer until dose-limiting side effects are noted or tolerance limit is observed |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Initial Dosing: 18 mcg (or 3 inhalations) every 4 hours 4 times/day; if 3 inhalations not tolerated, reduce to 1-2 inhalations, then increased to 3 inhalations as tolerated |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Treprostinil (Remodulin): Inhalation |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Initial Dosing: new to prostacyclin therapy: 1.25 ng/kg/minute continuous, if dose cannot be tolerated due to systemic effects, reduce to 0.625 ng/kg/minute |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Treprostinil (Remodulin): SubQ or IV |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Initial Dosing: 2.5 mcg/dose; administer 6-9 times daily |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Illoprost (Ventavis): Inhalation |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Adverse Reactions/Events include anxiety, diarrhea, flu-like syndrome, flushing, HA, jaw pain, N/V, nervousness, pump malfunction, local site infection, catheter obstruction, sepsis |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Epoprostenol (Flolan) Contraindications |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Hypersensitivity, chronic use with pts w/ heart failure due to severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction, pts who develop pulmonary edema during dose initiation |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Epoprostenol (Flolan) Drug Interactions |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Anticoagulants and Antiplatelets, Antihypertensives |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Class II Preferred Agents |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Ambristentan, Bosentan, Sildenafil |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Class II Alternative Agents |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Class III Preferred Agents |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Ambrisentan, Bosentan, IV Epoprostenol, IV or SubQ Treprostinil, Inhaled Iloprost, Sildenafil |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Class III Alternative Agents |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Class IV Preferred Agents |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Class IV Alternative Agents |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
         | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Creates a right or left shunt in the atria of the heart; decompresses the right heart chamber and increases LV preload and CO; improves systemic O2 transport despite arterial O2 desaturation |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
         | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Option for a select group of pts when medication therapy is no longer effective; this is the only "curative" treatment for PH |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | Lung Transplant or Heart-Lung Transplant |  
          | 
        
        
         | 
        
        
        Term 
        
        | Guidelines for Referral of patients for Transplantation |  
          | 
        
        
        Definition 
        
        | WHO Functional Class III or IV; MAP > 10 mmHg; MPAP > 50 mm Hg; Cardiac index < 2.5 L/min per m2; failure to improve functionally despite medical therapy; rapidly progressive disease |  
          | 
        
        
         |