Medical and interventional management of acute pulmonary embolism includes anticoagulation, systemic fibrinolysis, and catheter-based techniques to reduce bleeding complications and improve outcomes.
This review highlights current medical and interventional management strategies for acute pulmonary embolism, emphasizing catheter-based techniques to reduce bleeding complications compared to systemic fibrinolysis.
As the third most common cardiovascular disease, pulmonary embolism (PE) has an uptrending incidence and mortality, resulting in significant healthcare expenditure. Risk stratification of acute PE guides management. Although anticoagulation remains the cornerstone management, systemic fibrinolysis and targeted therapeutic approaches, catheter-directed thrombolysis and catheter-based embolectomy are available for high-risk patients. Life-threatening bleeding complications associated with systemic fibrinolysis have restricted its widespread implementation. Catheter-based techniques for intermediate high-risk categories were devised to reduce bleeding complications and improve outcomes. Catheter-directed thrombolysis helps minimize bleeding by way of direct drug delivery. Catheter-based embolectomy mechanically retrieves thrombi without using fibrinolytics. This focused review of medical and interventional management of acute PE provides a highlight of ongoing trials expected to add value to current practice.
Nagraj et al. (Tue,) conducted a review in Pulmonary embolism. Pharmacological and interventional management was evaluated. Medical and interventional management of acute pulmonary embolism includes anticoagulation, systemic fibrinolysis, and catheter-based techniques to reduce bleeding complications and improve outcomes.