PRIMARY PULMONARY HYPERTENSION (PPH)
Primary
pulmonary hypertension (PPH) is a rare and often
fatal disease that has no known cause and results in the progressive narrowing
of the blood vessels of the lungs which as a result causes high blood pressure
in these blood vessels and eventually leads to heart failure. The
lungs contain millions of tiny blood vessels called capillaries. These
capillaries
are extremely small, just wide enough for blood cells to move through.
The capillaries are lined with endothelial cells that prevent blood from
leaking
out of the vessel. The outside of the blood vessels are muscle type cells
that expand and contract as blood moves through from the heart into the
lungs. PPH
causes the cell lining of the lung's blood vessels to weaken and allow
leakage. The leaking of blood out of the vessels causes the muscles that
surround
the blood vessels to constrict. This continuous constriction increases
the pressure
within the blood vessels and cuts off blood flow. The constriction gradually
worsens, eventually increasing the pulmonary arterial pressure. Secondary
pulmonary hypertension (SPH) is the result of other types of lung disease,
abnormal breathing
processes or heart disease.
PRIMARY
PULMONARY HYPERTENSION SYMPTOMS
PPH Symptoms may
include one or more of the following:
- Shortness
of breath following exertion,
- Excessive
Fatigue
- Chest pain
- Ankle
Swelling
- Fainting
- Bluish
Lips and skin
CAUSES
OF PRIMARY PULMONARY HYPERTENSION
No
one is certain as to what causes primary pulmonary
hypertension (PPH), but research has shown that there are
a number of factors that may be responsible for the
disease.
Some of the possible causes include immune system disease,
congenital heart defects, portal hypertension, HIV
infection, Collagen Vascular Disease, and intravenous drug
use or other chemical exposures. The use of certain
appetite suppressants,
herbal medicines (ephedra ephedrine alkaloids, ma huang), Pondimin (fenfluramine)
and Redux (dexfenfluramine),
have been found to greatly increase
the risk of developing PPH. Even
if the disease has progressed, the signs and symptoms may
be hard to detect or even confused with other conditions
that
affect the heart and the lungs. Early diagnosis of PPH
is usually done by an echocardiogram. The echocardiogram is
used to detect elevated pulmonary artery pressures.
However, with some patients a cardiac categorization is
necessary to confirm the diagnosis and gather
additional artery pressures.
TREATMENT OF
PRIMARY PULMONARY HYPERTENSION (PPH) Since
there is no cure for PPH, the treatments listed below at
best only relieve the symptoms. Relief from these symptoms
however can raise quality of life and raise the life
expectancy by
a number of years. Doctors have developed functional
classifications
of Primary Pulmonary Hypertension based on the level of the
conditions and symptoms involved. The general treatments
for PPH include: Calcium Channel
blockers that
can be used to lower pressure; oxygen enables the patient
to breath easier and lowers pressure; Coumadin (warfarin)
thins
the blood and prevents clotting; diuretics or "water
pills" relieve fluid that collects in the ankles and
belly area, digoxin slows the heart rate to improve muscle
force. These new treatments for PPH include use of Tracleer,
Flolan, Reodulin (UT-15) and Bosentan. The most prescibed
and so far the most effective PPH treatments have been
with the use of Tracleer and Flolan.
PRIMARY
PULMONARY TREATMENT OPTIONS
PPH treatment
options may include:
- Anticoagulant
therapy
- Vasoconstriction
(Use of calcium channel
blockers)
- Increased
doses of prostaglandin
- Flolan-Prostacyclin
( Flolan with a Blood Thinner)
- Prostacyclin
Infusion Therapy
- Diuretics
- Supplemental
Oxygen
- Flolan
Treatment
- Tracleer
Treatment
- Use of
other PPH Drugs- Bosentan, Remodulin (UT-15)
- PPH
Surgery - Bilateral (Double) lung transplantation
- PPH Surgery
-Single-lung transplant
PPH-
LAWSUITS - LEGAL OPTIONS FOR PPH VICTIMS
If you or a loved one
have been diagnosed with Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH),
then you may have a right to file a individual legal action
against the manufacturers of the diet pills or other
products that caused your PPH. Due to the nature of this
serious and devastating disease process, PPH patients are
urged to contact an attorney immediately after he or she has
been informed of their Primary Pulmonary Hypertension
diagnosis.
Many
important legal issues need to be addressed early after
a PPH diagnosis, that
can affect the outcome of the PPH litigation. Call us for
a Free Confidential Consultation. Talk with a Board Certified
Personal Injury Trial Lawyer about your legal rights of a
PPH claim against the diet drug industry and others. No Fees
or Expenses Charged unless we make a Recovery for You.
Call
Us Toll Free at 1-800-883-9858
or 1-800-468-4878 or E-mail us your
questions on Free Case Evaluation Form.
NOTE: The statements and information provided on this web site are for the informational purposes only. This site is NOT intended to provide legal advice to the reader and NO attorney-client relationship shall be deemed to arise from the receipt this page and/or its associated pages or any oral or e-mail communication sent to or from David Willis or The Willis Law Firm until a contract has been signed by all parties. There will be NO lawsuits filed, demands, claims made, letters or phone calls made for a prospective client, until that person is represented by the firm. An attorney client relationship only arises after the attorney and client have signed a written attorney client agreement, after the attorney has evaluated the background facts provided and has accepted the representation of the client's legal action.
Mr. Willis is a licensed attorney in New York and Texas. He is a Board Certified in Personal Injury Trial Lawyer, certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Principle office is Houston, Texas.
Mr. Willis has represented clients in personal injury, wrongful death cases, fen phen diet drug cases and/or other product liability and negligence cases from across the United States, including clients from Alabama, Arkansas, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia & Wyoming.
Further, any statement or reference to past personal injury, products liability lawsuits, settlements or verdicts should NOT be relied upon in one's own case or in your decision on which law firm to hire. All client's cases, facts, injuries, damages, venues and lawsuits are different and there is NO way to predict the outcome of a particular case, verdict of a jury or judge or the strength of a case before a judge, jury or the appellate court system. The client is responsible for all of their own medical expenses. All cases are handled on a contingent fee basis. NO attorneys fees or case costs charged to client, unless a recovery is made for the client. Often in very serious and catastrophic injury and death cases Mr. Willis may associate with another products liability attorney as co-counsel and in other matters, the case may be referred. In cases where a legal matter is referred, Mr. Willis will continue to maintain joint responsibility with the handling attorney or lead counsel and actively monitor the progress and development of the case. Due to his 23+ years of experience in personal injury and products liability cases, Mr. Willis will often continue to assist in working with the clients, hired experts and engineers and in research of the defective product, negligent defendant or other related legal matters in the case.
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Legal Assistance
for PPH & Diet Drug Victims since 1997
