AHA/ATS Release Guidelines on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension.

A collection of Practice Guidelines published in AFP is available at http:// www.aafp.org/afp/ practguide. Pulmonary hypertension in children is distinct from adult hypertension. It is linked to issues of lung growth and development, and is often related to impaired functional and structural adaptation of pulmonary circulation during transition from fetal to postnatal life. Pulmonary hypertension in children is defined as a resting mean pulmonary artery pressure of more than 25 mm Hg beyond the first few months of life. These guidelines from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS) address evaluation and treatment of pediatric pulmonary hypertension, including diagnosis, pharmacotherapy, and outpatient treatment recommendations.