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Catheter-Directed Therapy Safe, Effective for Massive Pulmonary Embolism FAIRFAX, Va -- November 11, 2009 -- Catheter-directed therapy or catheter-directed thrombolysis saves lives and should be considered a first-line treatment option for massive pulmonary embolism, according to a study published in the November issue of the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology. “Modern catheter-directed therapy for acute pulmonary embolism saves lives, and we need to raise awareness about its safety and effectiveness, not only among the general public, but also within the medical community,” said William Kuo, MD, Vascular and Interventional Radiology, Department of Radiology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, California. “In our study, we conclude that modern catheter-directed therapy is a relatively safe and effective treatment for acute massive pulmonary embolism and should be considered as a first-line treatment option.” Dr. Kuo and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of catheter-directed therapy on 594 patients in 18 countries who were treated between 1990 and 2008. The treatment was lifesaving in 86.5% of the cases studied and had only a 2.4% chance of major complications. Researchers found that not only was the treatment effective, but it also appeared much safer than the historical complication rates reported from injecting high-dose clot-busting medicine systemically or directly into the blood stream where the drug can circulate throughout the body and cause major bleeding in up to 20% of patients. According to Kuo, the study addressed the use of catheter-directed therapy for treating the most severe or life-threatening form of pulmonary embolism known. Additional studies are needed to see if the treatment should be initiated in those patients with less severe or sub-massive pulmonary embolism, he added. To answer these questions and to analyse further treatment outcomes, Dr. Kuo and colleagues are initiating the multicenter Pulmonary Embolism Response to Fragmentation, Embolectomy and Catheter Thrombolysis (PERFECT) registry. SOURCE: Society of Interventional Radiology E-mail this page to a friend or colleague! To print, use this version