Audit of the aetiology and prevalence of pulmonary hypertension in a tertiary hospital setting.

Appropriate diagnosis and initiation of disease-specific treatment is an important therapeutic goal in idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension. We evaluated the prevalence and aetiology of moderate-to-severe pulmonary hypertension in a cohort of patients referred for inpatient echocardiography, with significant pulmonary hypertension documented in 4.6%. Pulmonary hypertension complicating left heart disease was the most common aetiology, with idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension less frequent.