title: Successful treatment of peripartum massive pulmonary embolism with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and catheter-directed pulmonary thrombolytic therapy.
abstract: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension during pregnancy is uncommon but is associated with maternal mortality in excess of 35%. We report a case of decompensated thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension requiring emergency caesarean section and postpartum treatment with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and thrombolytic therapy with urokinase. The use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, catheter-directed pulmonary thrombolytic therapy and other pulmonary vasodilators for management of this life-threatening disease is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Austin Hospital, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia. Laurence.Weinberg@austin.org.au
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kay
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liskaser
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tay
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jaffe
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seevanayagam
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Doolan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002404:Catheterization; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000628:therapy*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011249:Pregnancy Complications, Cardiovascular / Q000628:therapy*; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000628:therapy*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy