Treatments for Pulmonary Embolism

Immediate treatment

Pulmonary embolism (PE) can be a life-threating condition, and emergency assessment and treatment should be conducted quickly.1 Treatment will depend on when your symptoms started and how soon you can access treatment.

Supportive treatments

In the acute phase of PE, you may require supportive treatments1 to help counteract the effects of the blocked blood vessel. You may be given respiratory support such as high-flow oxygen treatment. In addition, you may receive haemodynamic treatments such as intravenous fluids and vasopressors to help return your blood pressure back to a healthy level.1

Anticoagulation

Most patients with acute PE are given an anticoagulant,1,2 which is a type of drug that manipulates the blood coagulation process to prevent blood clots from forming too easily. In acute PE, the anticoagulant should stop the clot from getting larger while your body’s natural processes break it down.2

Anticoagulants generally include non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs), heparins and vitamin K antagonists.3 All of these have different ways of working. Due to their pharmacological mode of action, the use of anticoagulants may be associated with an increased risk of occult or overt bleeding from any tissue or organ. The signs, symptoms and severity will vary according to the location (e.g. blood in urine, severe bruising) and degree or extent of the bleeding. For most people, the benefits of taking an anticoagulant outweigh the risk of serious bleeding.3