Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (“PPH”), a serious, often fatal lung disease, is associated with the use of fen-phen. In 1997 Wyeth withdrew Fenfluramine (the “fen” in fen-phen) and related drug Dexfenfluramine after discussions with the FDA. Robinson, Calcagnie & Robinson has been a national leader in the fen-phen litigation, and has developed an expertise in handling and settling PPH cases.
What is Primary Pulmonary Hypertension?
Pulmonary Hypertension: Pulmonary Hypertension (“PH) in its simplest sense means high blood pressure in the lungs. Constriction of the vessels in the lungs makes it harder for the heart to pump blood through the lungs. The effects of PH are serious and can be life threatening.
Symptoms:
The initial symptoms of PH are similar to symptoms of other, more common conditions. As a result, PH is often not diagnosed until it has progressed to a late stage. Some of the symptoms include:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath (dyspnea)
- Unusual fatigue
- Chest pain (angina)
- Fainting (syncope) or loss of consciousness
- Swelling (edema) of the legs or ankles
- Bluish lips and skin (cyanosis)
Testing and Diagnosis:
Physicians look at the pressure in the pulmonary artery to determine if the blood pressure in the lungs is abnormal. The pulmonary artery is the large vessel that carries oxygen-poor blood from the heart to the lungs. The pulmonary artery pressure can be estimated by a non-invasive echocardiogram or directly measured by a right heart catheterization. PH is often defined as a mean pulmonary artery pressure of 25 mmHg at rest or 30 mmHg during exercise (when measured by cardiac catheterization).
When PH is diagnosed, additional testing is performed to determine the cause. There are a number of known causes of PH, including: congenital heart disease, collagen vascular disease (scleroderma, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis), blood clots in the lungs, left-sided heart disease, sleep apnea, interstitial lung disease, emphysema and HIV.
Tests performed to identify the cause of PH include:
- Blood tests (collagen vascular disease, HIV)
- Computed tomography (CT or CAT) of the lungs (pulmonary blood clots, lung diseases)
- Ventilation-perfusion Lung Scan (pulmonary blood clots)
- Sleep Study (sleep apnea)
- Pulmonary Function Test (obstructive lung disease)
