The ASIG Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) risk assessments algorithm is intended for annual screening of all patients with systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) for PAH which can occur in up to 15% of patients and has better outcomes if detected and treated early in its course. The algorithm requires a blood test for NT-proBNP (a peptide released from heart muscle) and lung function tests to measure FVC % predicted and DLCO % predicted.
Patients who screen positive should be considered for further investigations as appropriate, including echocardiography and lung imaging, and if a positive screen remains unexplained, right heart catheterisation is indicated as the only definitive test for diagnosis of PAH. Medicare now allows all patients with scleroderma to have up to two reimbursed blood tests for NT-proBNP each year as part of scleroderma PAH screening. Most patients need only one NT-proBNP measurement for PAH screening each year, with the second of the two reimbursed NT-proBNP tests each year suitable for those who have a borderline (e.g. an NT-proBNP just above the positive screen cut-off of 210 pg/ml with normal lung function tests) or an equivocal result. You can use this link to learn more about how positive and negative screens are determined using the ASIG PAH risk assessment algorithm.
You can use the ASIG PAH risk assessment calculator here to assess your patient's risk for PAH.
The ASIG Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) risk assessments algorithm is intended for annual screening of all patients with systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) for PAH which can occur in up to 15% of patients and has better outcomes if detected and treated early in its course. The algorithm requires a blood test for NT-proBNP (a peptide released from heart muscle) and lung function tests to measure FVC % predicted and DLCO % predicted.
Patients who screen positive should be considered for further investigations as appropriate, including echocardiography and lung imaging, and if a positive screen remains unexplained, right heart catheterisation is indicated as the only definitive test for diagnosis of PAH. Medicare now allows all patients with scleroderma to have up to two reimbursed blood tests for NT-proBNP each year as part of scleroderma PAH screening. Most patients need only one NT-proBNP measurement for PAH screening each year, with the second of the two reimbursed NT-proBNP tests each year suitable for those who have a borderline (e.g. an NT-proBNP just above the positive screen cut-off of 210 pg/ml with normal lung function tests) or an equivocal result. You can use this link to learn more about how positive and negative screens are determined using the ASIG PAH risk assessment algorithm.
You can use the ASIG PAH risk assessment calculator here to assess your patient's risk for PAH.
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The ASIG Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) risk assessments algorithm is intended for annual screening of all patients with systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) for PAH which can occur in up to 15% of patients and has better outcomes if detected and treated early in its course. The algorithm requires a blood test for NT-proBNP (a peptide released from heart muscle) and lung function tests to measure FVC % predicted and DLCO % predicted.
Patients who screen positive should be considered for further investigations as appropriate, including echocardiography and lung imaging, and if a positive screen remains unexplained, right heart catheterisation is indicated as the only definitive test for diagnosis of PAH. Medicare now allows all patients with scleroderma to have up to two reimbursed blood tests for NT-proBNP each year as part of scleroderma PAH screening. Most patients need only one NT-proBNP measurement for PAH screening each year, with the second of the two reimbursed NT-proBNP tests each year suitable for those who have a borderline (e.g. an NT-proBNP just above the positive screen cut-off of 210 pg/ml with normal lung function tests) or an equivocal result. You can use this link to learn more about how positive and negative screens are determined using the ASIG PAH risk assessment algorithm.
You can use the ASIG PAH risk assessment calculator here to assess your patient's risk for PAH.