Anticoagulation therapy is the primary treatment option for most patients with acute PE. The utilization of factor Xa antagonists and direct thrombin inhibitors, collectively termed Novel Oral Anticoagulants (NOACs) are likely to increase as they become incorporated into societal guidelines as first line therapy.
Additionally, can a pulmonary embolism be treated at home?
Home treatment is feasible and safe in selected patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) and is associated with a considerable reduction in health care costs.
Moreover, how is a PE managed?
When present, pleuritic pain from PE is best treated with scheduled medications, usually acetaminophen or nonsteroidal antiinflammatories, and narcotics. The choice among these agents should be individualized.
How long is treatment for PE?
In patients whose PE was provoked, either by surgery or another risk factor, treatment is recommended for 3 months. Patients with unprovoked PE should be treated for 3 months, with reevaluation at 3 months to determine the risks versus the benefits of continuing therapy.
What is a PE protocol?
A CT PE (Pulmonary Embolus) Study is a CT exam of the chest that uses a combination of high speed CT imaging and an Iodine contrast to make very thin (1.5mm) and very detailed pictures of the pulmonary artery and vein.
When do you start heparin for PE?
Heparin therapy should be instituted or reinstituted near the end of or immediately following infusion, when the aPTT or thrombin time returns to twice normal or less.
Which anticoagulant is used for pulmonary embolism?
Abstract. The anticoagulant agents commonly used in prevention and treatment of pulmonary embolism are unfractionated heparin, and more recently, low molecular weight heparins, and oral anticoagulants. Unfractionated heparin is the drug of choice for prophylaxis and short-term treatment of pulmonary embolism.