148: Differentiating Pulmonary Hypertension vs Dilated Cardiomyopathy with Natalie RN

24/10/2025 36 min
148: Differentiating Pulmonary Hypertension vs Dilated Cardiomyopathy with Natalie RN

Listen "148: Differentiating Pulmonary Hypertension vs Dilated Cardiomyopathy with Natalie RN"

Episode Synopsis

Differential diagnosis is part physiology, part detective work. Especially in heart failure, where similar vital signs can mean very different things.In this episode, Natalie RN is back on the show to break down two pediatric cases that looked almost identical on arrival to the ED but their workups led to two very different treatment plans. She shares the assessment findings, diagnostics, and clinical clues that helped them uncover what was really going on.Learn how to connect the dots and find the right intervention when presentations look identical!Topics discussed in this episode:Presentation of two pediatric patients with similar symptomsDifferential diagnosis and early clinical cluesWhat to look for in your clinical assessmentPathophysiology of pulmonary hypertensionPathophysiology of dilated cardiomyopathyKey physical exam and diagnostic differencesDilated cardiomyopathy interventionsWhy it’s hard to diagnose pulmonary hypertension in the ERNurse priorities when managing patients in the CVICUManaging pulmonary hypertension crises and reducing PVRPearls and pitfalls of treating these conditionsConnect with Natalie:https://www.instagram.com/chatwithnat_rn/Listen to Chat with Nurse Nat on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/7Jh2qe44KipudVKkdXFwWHListen to Chat with Nurse Nat on Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chat-with-nurse-nat/id1815541418Mentioned in this episode:CONNECT
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