Pulmonary Embolization Interventions & Response Teams

In this episode, interventional cardiologist Dr. Eric Secemsky and our host Dr. Sabeen Dhand discuss pulmonary embolization and the coordination of Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams (PERTs).

Dr. Secemsky starts by introducing the diagnosis of pulmonary embolisms. He explains the classification of patients into the categories of massive, submassive, and low-risk embolisms, as well as echocardiogram and CT imaging. His workup includes not only checking for clot burden, but also checking for vital sign abnormalities, evidence of right ventricle dysfunction, and neurological deficits.

Then, we transition to talking about the structure, workflow, and communication technologies used in pulmonary embolism response teams. Dr. Secemsky describes his experience with building a response team and ensuring its adaptability for a variety of cases. He emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary care and team members’ accountability for every patient.

Finally, we discuss treatment of pulmonary embolism, based on how emergent a case is. Dr. Secemsky describes factors to consider when employing different treatments: clot extraction devices, thrombolytics, and anticoagulants. Additionally, we cover the topics of catheter-directed thrombolysis, mechanical thrombectomy, and surgical embolectomy.