The Mayo Clinic Diet Book, learn more

Free

E-newsletter

Subscribe to Housecall

Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics.

Sign up now

Treatments and drugs

By Mayo Clinic staff

Prompt treatment of pulmonary embolism is essential to prevent serious complications or death.

Medications
Medications to treat pulmonary embolism include:

  • Anticoagulants. Heparin works quickly and is usually delivered with a needle. Warfarin (Coumadin) and rivaroxaban (Xarelto) come in pill form. These drugs prevent new clots from forming, but it takes a few days before warfarin and rivaroxaban begin to work. Risks include bleeding gums and easy bruising.
  • Clot dissolvers (thrombolytics). While clots usually dissolve on their own, certain medications can dissolve clots quickly. Because these clot-busting drugs can cause sudden and severe bleeding, they usually are reserved for life-threatening situations.

Surgical and other procedures
In some cases, your doctor might recommend a procedure to treat pulmonary embolism, such as:

  • Clot removal. If you have a very large clot in your lung and you're in shock, your doctor may thread a thin flexible tube (catheter) through your blood vessels and suction out the clot. It can be difficult to remove a clot this way, and this procedure isn't always successful.
  • Vein filter. A catheter can also be used to place a filter in the main vein — called the inferior vena cava — that leads from your legs to the right side of your heart. This filter catches and stops blood clots moving through the blood stream toward your lungs. Filter insertion is typically reserved for people who can't take anticoagulant drugs or when anticoagulant drugs don't work well enough.
  • Surgery. If you're in shock and thrombolytic medication isn't working quickly enough, your doctor might attempt emergency surgery. This happens infrequently, and the goal is to remove as many blood clots as possible, especially if there's a large clot in your main (central) pulmonary artery.
Prevention Tests and diagnosis
References
  1. Pulmonary embolism. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/pe/pe_all.html. Accessed Aug. 3, 2011.
  2. Thompson BT, et al. Overview of acute pulmonary embolism. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 3, 2011.
  3. Kline JA, et al. Pulmonary embolism and deep vein thrombosis. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?about=true&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05472-0..X0001-1--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05472-0&uniqId=230100505-57. Accessed Aug. 3, 2011.
  4. Bauer KA, et al. Overview of the causes of venous thrombosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 3, 2011.
  5. Deep vein thrombosis. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00219. Accessed Aug. 3, 2011.
  6. Weitz JI. Pulmonary embolism. In: Goldman L, et al. Goldman's Cecil Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/191371208-2/0/1492/0.html#. Accessed Aug. 3, 2011.
  7. Rosenow EC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 21, 2011.
  8. Troncales FD, et al. Pulmonary embolism. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2012: 5 Books in 1. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2012. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/linkTo?type=bookPage&isbn=978-0-323-05611-3&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05611-3..00025-2--sc0355. Accessed Aug. 16, 2011.
  9. General nuclear medicine. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=gennuclear. Accessed Aug. 16, 2011.
  10. Catheter angiography. Radiological Society of North America. http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=Angiocath. Accessed Aug. 16, 2011.
  11. Lip GY, et al. Patient information: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 16, 2011.
  12. Deep vein thrombosis. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Dvt/DVT_All.html. Accessed Aug. 16, 2011.
  13. FDA expands use of Xarelto to treat, reduce recurrence of blood clots. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm326654.htm?source=govdelivery. Accessed Jan. 2, 2013.
DS00429 Jan. 19, 2013

© 1998-2013 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

  • Reprints
  • Print

  • Share on:

  • Email

Advertisement


Text Size: smaller largerlarger