Successful pharmacomechanical intervention with ultrasonic-accelerated thrombolytic catheter for massive pulmonary embolism

An 86-year-old male with history of metastatic prostate carcinoma and hypertension was admitted due to acute onset dyspnea and lower extremity pain and swelling. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a large right atrial thrombus extending in to the right ventricle. Within 12 h, the patient developed severe hypoxemia, tachypnea with sustained hypotension and cardiogenic shock due to presumed massive pulmonary embolism. The patient underwent emergency pulmonary angiography which showed large emboli in the right main pulmonary artery extending in to the middle and lower lobe branches. An ultrasonic-accelerated thrombolytic catheter was placed in the right main pulmonary artery for continuous infusion of alteplase for 20 h. Repeat pulmonary angiogram showed resolution of the large pulmonary emboli, with normal flow in to the distal pulmonary arteries. Significant improvement of hemodynamics, symptoms and hypoxemia occurred as well.