Massive pulmonary embolism: Diagnosis and treatment

International Conference and Exhibition on Lung Disorders & Therapeutics

July 13-15, 2015 Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Serhat Findik

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: J Pulm Respir Med

Abstract :

Acute pulmonary emboli can be further classified as massive or sub massive. Massive PE is a catastrophic entity that frequently results in acute right ventricular failure and death. Urgent diagnosis and treatment is vital since death is often within one to two hours of the event. Specific symptoms and signs are not helpful diagnostically because their frequency is similar among patients with and without PE. Thus, additional testing is needed to confirm or exclude the diagnosis of PE. The major diagnostic tests employed in the evaluation of a patient with suspected PE include computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CT-PA), ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scanning, D-dimer testing, ultrasonography, and conventional pulmonary angiography. Thrombolysis is the mainstay of therapy for massive PE. Other treatment strategies include anicoagulation, vena caval filters, and embolectomy, either catheter directed or surgical.