Thrombolysis for life-threatening pulmonary embolism 2 days after lung resection.
Early postoperative severe pulmonary embolism is usually considered an indication for surgical embolectomy because thrombolytic agents cannot be used. Severe pulmonary embolism was diagnosed 2 days after lung resection in two patients, including one with hypercapnia during spontaneous breathing, perhaps a unique feature of massive embolism on a single lung. Although emergency surgical embolectomy was available, both patients were given a bolus infusion of thrombolytic agents, with an immediate (within 1 h) clinical and hemodynamic improvement and a favorable outcome despite delayed major bleeding in one patient. The reported data and an analysis of the available literature support the view that recent surgery should be considered a relative rather than absolute contraindication to thrombolysis and that decision making in this setting should be based on a careful case-by-case evaluation of the expected benefits and risks of the various available treatments.
Girard
P
P
Department of Thoracic Surgery, Centre Médico-Chirurgical de la Porte de Choisy, Paris, France.
Baldeyrou
P
P
Le Guillou
J L
JL
Lamer
C
C
Grunenwald
D
D
D000368:Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011013:Pneumonectomy; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D013997:Time Factors; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator