Memos
Editor's Memo
Congratulations to Erika Berman Rosenzweig, MD, the Guest Editor for this issue of Advances in Pulmonary Hypertension (PH). Dr Berman Rosenzweig created an exceptional expert-driven “behind the scenes” discussion of the 6th World Symposium on Pulmonary Hypertension (WSPH), which convened in Nice, France, in February 2018. This is an invaluable resource with sections authored by WSPH task force leaders and experts.
In the first section of the issue, Dr Berman Rosenzweig is joined by Dr Nicholas Hill for an important dialogue regarding the updated hemodynamic definition and classifications. They discuss how these changes that were proposed during the meeting will affect clinical practice. They discuss not only how and why these changes were proposed, but also how we as the PH community can implement them into our daily practice. This discussion brings two of the world's experts together to reflect on two of the most important topics at the WSPH meeting.
Risk assessment and stratification of our patients was a major focus at the WSPH. Dr Ioana Preston details the strong relationship between stratification and outcomes. Dr Preston eloquently discusses each risk assessment tool and compares and contrasts them in order to point out the benefits of each for our patient assessment.
Dr Thenappan Thenappan authored the section on the practical approach to evaluating and managing PH due to left heart disease (Group 2 PH). He discusses the pathophysiology of Group 2 PH as well as defines and analyzes those patients with combined precapillary and post capillary PH (CpcPH). This section provides an excellent literature review on both subjects.
Dr Steven Abman and Dr Csaba Galambos thoroughly detail the challenges addressed at the WSPH on the pediatric PH population. In their article, they reflect on the issues of pathobiology, assessment, management, and outcomes of the pediatric diseases associated with PH.
Susanne McDevitt, MSN, ACNPBC tackled a very important topic for our PH patients in the PH Professional Network (PHPN) section. Ms McDevitt discussed the complex process that occurs for our patients when they are transitioning from the hospital to home. This process needs to include a multidisciplinary approach to make sure that everything that a patient will require at home is available.
Last, but definitely not least, was the “Round Table of Champions.” This world-expert led discussion focused on some of the most challenging and controversial issues presented at the WSPH. Drs Berman Rosenzweig, Vallerie McLaughlin, Greg Elliott, Robert Frantz, and Nicholas Hill discussed the proposed hemodynamic changes, as well as some of the changes in the classification system. The welcome addition of a patient perspective to the WSPH was detailed as well. A special thank you to Dr McLaughlin, who described the establishment of the newly created association of the WSPH, called the WSPHA.
This outstanding issue of Advances, which covers the 6th WSPH meeting, is a vital resource for all of those in our field. The authors provide their reflections of this important meeting in each of their sections. We will all learn so much from each of their articles.
Guest Editor's Memo
As guest editor for Advances in Pulmonary Hypertension this quarter, I had the great opportunity to work with some key experts in the field of pulmonary hypertension (PH) to highlight the 6th World Symposium on PH meeting (WSPH; 2018, Nice, France). In this Advances issue, we have captured some of the most important discussions that have followed the WSPH meeting, including an outstanding roundtable discussion with some leading PH experts who participated in the meeting. I believe this issue is timely, as it has given us a chance to digest some of the updates and enabled us to incorporate the discussions that have ensued since the most recent WSPH meeting. I also want to commend the organizers of this WSPH meeting, who incorporated a task force focused on patients' perspectives for the very first time. Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA) president and CEO, Brad A. Wong, was included as a task force member, giving the PHA a strong international voice. This is particularly meaningful to the PH community that PHA serves, and is a noteworthy addition to the WSPH symposium.