18 Aug Some Pulmonary Embolism Patients Can Be Treated at Home
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr. Bledsoe
Joseph Bledsoe MD, FACEP
Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine
Stanford Medicine
Director of Research
Department of Emergency Medicine
Intermountain Medical Center
Murray, UT 84157
MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: Patients with blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism) (PE) are routinely admitted to the hospital for blood thinning medications in the United States. However, evidence from other countries has shown that with appropriate risk stratification patients may be safe for outpatient treatment for their PE.
Our study is the largest prospective management study in the US to evaluate home treatment of patients with acute pulmonary embolism. We enrolled 200 patients and after risk stratification with the PE severity index score, leg ultrasounds and echocardiograms performed in the emergency department, patients were treated with blood thinning medications at home with routine outpatient follow up.
During the 90 day follow up period we found only one patient suffered a bleeding event after a traumatic injury, without any cases of recurrent symptomatic blood clots or death.
MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?
Response: Patients in the US with acute pulmonary embolism can be safely treated without hospitalization after appropriate risk stratification. Patients are very satisfied with home treatment.
MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this work?
Response: Larger studies involving a broader range of institutions in the US are needed prior to adopting home treatment for PE as standard of care for the rest of the country, as these results are specific to our institutions.
MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?
Response: I would like to thank Intermountain Healthcare, Utah Emergency Physicians and my co-investigators for making this important study possible.
I have no relevant conflicts of interest.
Citation:
Chest. 2018 Aug;154(2):249-256. doi: 10.1016/j.chest.2018.01.035. Epub 2018 Feb 2.
Bledsoe JR1, Woller SC2, Stevens SM2, Aston V3, Patten R4, Allen T5, Horne BD6, Dong L7, Lloyd J8, Snow G9, Madsen T10, Elliott CG11.
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Last Updated on August 18, 2018 by Marie Benz MD FAAD