Treating Pulmonary Embolism

Pulmonary embolism is a serious condition which requires immediate medical attention as it can be fatal if ignored. In case you are diagnosed with it or are experiencing respiratory symptoms related to it, it is important to visit a doctor and get treatment immediately.

There are two main methods of treatment for pulmonary embolism. The first is through medications to dissolve blood clots and treat deep vein thrombosis, which is one of the major causes of pulmonary embolism. Surgery is the second method of treatment for this condition. There are no specific guidelines for treatment, which is based on the symptoms and the severity of the condition.

Medications: If the condition is not very severe, the doctors try to use medications to resolve it rather than taking the surgical route. There are some simple medications that can be used to control blood clotting and dissolve or treat existing blood clots. Some of the most commonly used medications for this condition include the following.

Anticoagulants: There are two major drugs used as anti-coagulants. These are warfarin and heparin. They are essentially blood thinners and can prevent new clots from forming. Of the two, heparin is the more commonly used. However, the dosages of these medications have to be monitored carefully because excessive use can cause internal bleeding, bruising and hemorrhaging.
Thrombolytics: A lot of clots tend to dissolve on their own in time. However, if the clots are large, they cannot be left to damage the blood vessels and cause harm to vital organs. In such cases, clot dissolving medications, also known as thrombolytics, are used. These medications can help break down clots but come with serious side effects like severe bleeding. Due to the complications they can cause, clot dissolving medications are only prescribed in cases where a patient’s life is threatened.

Surgery: Pulmonary embolism can also be treated with the help of surgery. Some of the surgical procedures used to treat pulmonary embolism include the following.

Clot Removal: Clots may be suctioned out using suction catheters inserted into the blood vessels where the clot is present.
Installation of Vein Filters: This is another complicated procedure in which filters are installed in the main blood vessels likely to be affected by clots. These filters can stop clots from moving into vital organs.
Surgery: When medications do not work, the patient goes into shock and there are no other options, the protocol suggests the doctor to perform surgery and remove blood clots surgically.

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Diagnosis

Risk & Complications

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