Outcome After Thrombolysis in Patients With Intermediate High-Risk Pulmonary Embolism: A Propensity Score Analysis

The role of thrombolytic treatment in patients with intermediate high-risk pulmonary embolism (IHR-PE) remains controversial.

In this study, we assessed whether systemic thrombolysis decreases hemodynamic decompensation and mortality in a cohort of unselected patients with IHR compared with patients with conventional anticoagulation.

Between January 2014 and December 2018, 137 patients with IHR-PE were identified among 539 consecutive patients treated for symptomatic PE. In 35 patients (25.5%), systemic thrombolysis was used. Propensity score matching was performed based on 17 pretreatment variables. The primary outcome was hemodynamic decompensation, defined by systolic hypotension, need for catecholamines or signs of end-organ hypoperfusion, and all-cause mortality during hospitalization. Secondary outcomes, such as 1-year survival, and safety outcomes, such as bleeding events, were analyzed.

The effects of systemic thrombolysis and anticoagulation were compared in 55 matched patients with IHR-PE (systemic thrombolysis n = 21; anticoagulation n = 34). Thrombolysis was associated with a reduction (0% vs. 31%; p = 0.004) of the primary outcome during hospitalization and a 1-year survival benefit (100% vs. 83.2%; p = 0.036). Severe bleeding events occurred in 4.8% vs. 0% (p = 0.382) and moderate bleeding was observed in 14.3% vs. 7.1% (p = 0.359) in patients with thrombolysis compared with anticoagulation, respectively.

Thrombolysis was associated with a significant reduction of the combined endpoint of hemodynamic decompensation and death during hospitalization and lower all-cause mortality after 1 year in an unselected group of patients with IHR-PE. Further studies are required to improve the therapy of IHR-PE and to identify the subgroup of patients that might benefit from thrombolytic therapy.