Pulmonary embolism treatment

Abstract

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common and highly morbid illness, with an estimated 530,000 cases of symptomatic PE in the USA annually. The prognosis of acute PE varies greatly depending on the clinical presentation. Submassive PE is defined as acute right ventricular (RV) dysfunction without systemic arterial hypotension. Massive PE is defined by the presence of hemodynamic shock from PE and is frequently life-threatening, with up to 58 % mortality in this population, making it the third most common cause of death in hospitalized patients.