Optimizing Care in Pulmonary Embolism with the Pulmonary Embolism Response Team.

PURPOSE: Pulmonary embolism (PE) remains a commonly encountered condition with high morbidity and mortality associated with it. With the advent of more advanced interventional devices and techniques, there now exists the opportunity to offer intermediate and high-risk patients treatment above anticoagulation alone. The creation of pulmonary embolism response teams has served as an opportunity for multidisciplinary assessment of patients on an individual basis to help determine optimal treatment modality. Here we will review the composition of these teams, the service they provide, and review existing data for advanced treatment of PE. Recent findings: Recent reviews have suggested that the specialized assessment a pulmonary embolism response team can be associated with lower mortality from PE. In parallel with this, several recently published studies have investigated the use of catheter directed lysis and catheter based thrombectomy for intermediate and high risk patients, and found varying degrees of improved clinical outcomes in these populations. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent reviews have suggested that the specialized assessment a pulmonary embolism response team can be associated with lower mortality from PE. In parallel with this, several recently published studies have investigated the use of catheter directed lysis and catheter based thrombectomy for intermediate and high risk patients, and found varying degrees of improved clinical outcomes in these populations. Pulmonary embolism response teams offer an individualized, multidisciplinary assessment of patients presenting with pulmonary embolism. With the newly published and continuously evolving data surrounding interventional based pulmonary embolism techniques, these teams and techniques have the opportunity to reduce the morbidity and mortality surrounding this disease.