Acute response test to adaptive servo-ventilation, a possible modality to assessing the reversibility of pulmonary vascular resistance.

Since pulmonary hypertension (PH) due to left-sided heart failure (HF) with elevated pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) is contraindication for heart transplantation (HTx), correct evaluation of reversibility in PVR is essential for adequate therapeutic decision-making. However, guidelines or recommended protocols for pharmacological testing to evaluate the reversibility of PVR have not been established yet. In this report, we presented a 34-year-old male with advanced HF complicated by severe PH with high PVR [5.93 Wood units (WU)] who was deemed eligible for HTx. To evaluate his HTx candidacy, oxygen inhalation test was applied during right heart catheterization (RHC) and PVR was drastically decreased to 2.29 WU. At that time, acute response test to adaptive servo-ventilation (ASV) was also applied and use of ASV temporarily but substantially decreased PVR to 2.15 WU. From the results of both oxygen inhalation test and acute response test to ASV, reversibility of PVR in this patient was confirmed, and the patient was approved as HTx candidate and received left ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation for bridge to transplant. After LVAD implantation, PVR substantially and persistently decreased to 2.4 WU. These findings indicate that acute response test to ASV during RHC may be a possible modality to evaluate the reversibility of PVR in HF patients with PH complicated by elevated PVR.