Personalized strategies for high-risk acute pulmonary embolism: addressing the “catastrophic” subgroup
Abstract
We read with great interest the recent study by Stadlbauer et al. [1] published in Intensive Care Medicine, which evaluates the impact of reperfusion therapy including systemic thrombolysis (SYS), surgical thrombectomy (ST), and percutaneous catheter-directed thrombectomy (PCDT)—on outcomes in patients with high-risk pulmonary embolism (HR PE). While prior research has suggested the potential benefits and safety of reperfusion strategies following venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VA-ECMO) in HR PE [2–4], robust comparative data assessing the efficacy of advanced recanalization versus VA-ECMO alone remain scarce. The authors should be commended for their important contribution to this field.