Treatment And Prognosis

The first thing to do in treating pulmonary embolism is to shift the patient to a hospital and start oxygen and an IV line on the way.

The first thing to do in treating pulmonary embolism is to shift the patient to a hospital and start oxygen and an IV line on the way, if possible.

a) Anticoagulant therapy- Anticoagulants or blood thinners such as heparin, low molecular heparin or fondaparinux are initially administered while warfarin, is used for long – term treatment. In cancer patients or pregnant women, low molecular weight heparin as warfarin is contraindicated.

Blood flow is usually restored quite rapidly within the first two days.

b) Thrombolysis – The use of enzymes to destroy a clot can be done in the case of massive or unstable PE.

c) Surgery-Surgery is not a popular mode of treatment for PE but in the case of chronic pulmonary embolism which leads to pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary thrombo-endarterectomy is employed.

d)Inferior vena cava filter can be implanted when anti coagulant therapy is contraindicated or if repeated episodes of pulmonary embolism are noted.

Mortality from untreated PE is approximately 26%.

Prognosis of PE is dependant on the extent of lung damage in the patient and also on the existence of other ailments. In chronic lung embolism, the embolus formed must be resolved for the patient to survive.

Once anticoagulation therapy is stopped, there still exists a 0.5% risk of a fatal pulmonary embolism each year.