Pulmonary Vascular Resistance (PVR) Calculator
- Pulmonary Vascular Resistance Calculator Explanation and Clinical Context
Pulmonary vascular resistance describes the afterload that the right ventricle must overcome to eject blood into the pulmonary circulation. It is derived from a hemodynamic relationship that integrates pressure gradients across the pulmonary vasculature and the magnitude of pulmonary blood flow. PVR reflects the degree of vasoconstriction, remodeling, or obstruction within the pulmonary arterial bed. The calculation uses the difference between mean pulmonary arterial pressure and left atrial pressure divided by pulmonary flow and is multiplied by eighty for unit conversion to dynes sec cm5.
Normal PVR typically ranges from twenty to one hundred thirty dynes sec cm5 and values above this threshold suggest increased pulmonary vascular load. Elevated PVR is a hallmark of pulmonary arterial hypertension and contributes directly to the development of right ventricular hypertrophy, right ventricular dilation, and eventual right heart failure if left untreated.
Clinically, PVR estimation is essential during right heart catheterization to classify pulmonary hypertension, differentiate pre capillary and post capillary disease, evaluate operability in congenital shunts, and assess treatment response to pulmonary vasodilators. Interpretation requires attention to filling pressures and flow states because low cardiac output can artifactually inflate calculated PVR values. When interpreted within the full hemodynamic profile, PVR offers meaningful insight into disease severity and guides both medical and interventional decision making.
References:
Galiè N, et al. 2022 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary hypertension. European Heart Journal. 2022.
Drazner MH. Right Heart Catheterization Principles. In Braunwald's Heart Disease. 12th edition. Philadelphia. Elsevier.
Simonneau G, et al. Hemodynamic definitions and updated clinical classification of pulmonary hypertension. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2019.
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