Pulmonary vascular disease & thromboembolism
A nationwide analysis of reperfusion therapies for pulmonary embolism in older patients with frailty
Authors' conclusion
Catheter-directed therapies may be a safer alternative to classical reperfusion therapies for elderly and frail patients with PE requiring reperfusion treatment.
Study context
- Population
- Hospitalisations of patients ≥65 years with pulmonary embolism (PE), US, 2016–2020; frailty subgroup by Johns Hopkins ACG frailty indicator
- Participants
- 980,245 hospitalisations
- Exposure
- Catheter-directed therapies vs classical reperfusion
- Outcome
- Safety outcomes: overall and major bleeding
Methodological detailsnationwide, US Nationwide Inpatient Sample
- Nationwide
- US Nationwide Inpatient Sample
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Major bleeding (hospitalisations with reperfusion)
CDT vs systemic thrombolysis (ST)
Estimate (95% CI)
Odds ratio
0.58(0.49–0.70)
CBT vs SE
Estimate (95% CI)
Odds ratio
0.63(0.43–0.91)
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Major bleeding, frail patients (subgroup)
- CDT vs ST reduction also applied to frail patients; CBT vs SE reduction not among frail patients
Major bleeding, non-high-risk PE (subgroup)
- Differences particularly significant in non-high-risk PE
Use of reperfusion therapies
- Reperfusion therapies used (17.6% among high-risk PE)
- 4.9%
- Catheter-directed therapies use, 2016 to 2020 (ST use stable)
- 1.7% to 3.2%
Original publication
A nationwide analysis of reperfusion therapies for pulmonary embolism in older patients with frailty. EuroIntervention. Published 17 November 2023. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →