Interv Akut Kardiol. 2010;9(4):208-210

Aggressive approach to thrombolytic therapy of massive pulmonary embolism

Viktor Talafa¹, Dalibor Pastucha²

¹ Jednotka intenzivní péče Interního oddělení Nemocnice ve Frýdku-Místku

² Klinika rehabilitačního a tělovýchovného lékařství LF UP a FN Olomouc

Pulmonary embolism is a relatively common condition, particularly among elderly and high-risk patients. The annual incidence ranges

from 0.8 to 2 cases in 1,000 patients. It is frequently caused by a sudden obstruction of pulmonary vasculature with thrombembolus

originating from the deep venous system of lower extremities. Deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism are both part of a single

process – venous thromboembolic disease. Our case report describes a rare case of repeated thrombolytic treatment in a patient with two

episodes of cardiogenic shock on the basis of recurrent massive pulmonary embolism within a short interval of 25 hours.

Keywords: massive pulmonary embolism, trombolytic treatment, rt-PA (recombinant tissue plasminogen activator), Actilyse

Published: October 15, 2010  Show citation