Welcome to the tenth monthly email of PERTinent Updates featuring a select group of articles for your review. We aim to inform and update our members with the most recent major developments in the fields of PERT/VTE so that we in the PERT Consortium can continue to be at the leading edge of improving care for this vulnerable and overlooked group of patients.

This month’s “From Our Own” section features articles by Jay Giri, Wissam Jaber and Michael McDaniel in Interventional Cardiology Clinics; Akhilesh Sista in Blood; and Brett Carroll, Sam Goldhaber, and Greg Piazza in the Journal of Thrombosis and Thrombolysis.

Additionally, the design and rationale of the Standard vs UltrasouND-assiSted CathEter Thrombolysis for Submassive Pulmonary Embolism (Sunset sPE) trial is featured in “Upcoming Studies”.  Based out of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, this ongoing randomized control trial compares standard catheter-directed thrombolysis to ultrasound-assisted thrombolysis in patients with submassive pulmonary embolism.

Presentation and Diagnosis

Diagnosis of Venous Thromboembolism: 20 Years of Progress.
Wells PS, Ihaddadene R, Reilly A, Forgie MA. Ann Intern Med. 2018 Jan 16;168(2):131-140. Epub 2018 Jan 9. PMID: 29310137

Prevalence of Pulmonary Embolism in Patients With Syncope.
Costantino G, Ruwald MH, Quinn J, Camargo CA Jr, Dalgaard F, Gislason G, Goto T, Hasegawa K, Kaul P, Montano N, Numé AK, Russo A, Sheldon R, Solbiati M, Sun B, Casazza G. JAMA Intern Med. 2018 Jan 29. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 29379959

Echocardiogram in the Evaluation of Hemodynamically Stable Acute Pulmonary Embolism: National Practices and Clinical Outcomes.
Cohen DM, Winter M, Lindenauer PK, Walkey AJ. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2018 Jan 3. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 29298088

Treatment

Catheter-directed Thrombolysis for Intermediate-Risk Pulmonary Embolism.
Furfaro D, Stephens RS, Streiff MB, Brower R. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2018 Feb;15(2):134-144. PMID: 29073366

Upcoming studies

Design and rationale of a randomized trial comparing standard versus ultrasound-assisted thrombolysis for submassive pulmonary embolism.
Avgerinos ED, Mohapatra A, Rivera-Lebron B, Toma C, Kabrhel C, Fish L, Lacomis J, Ocak I, Chaer RA; PERT Consortium. J Vasc Surg Venous Lymphat Disord. 2018 Jan;6(1):126-132. PMID: 29248101

Improved identification of thrombolysis candidates amongst intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism patients: implications for future trials.
Barco S, Vicaut E, Klok FA, Lankeit M, Meyer G, Konstantinides SV; PEITHO Investigators. Eur Respir J. 2018 Jan 18;51(1). pii: 1701775. PMID: 29348184

From Our Own…

Systemic Thrombolysis for Pulmonary Embolism: Evidence, Patient Selection, and Protocols for Management.
Virk HUH, Chatterjee S, Sardar P, Bavishi C, Giri J, Chatterjee S. Interv Cardiol Clin. 2018 Jan;7(1):71-80. doi: 10.1016/j.iccl.2017.08.001. Review. PMID: 29157526

Catheter-Based Embolectomy for Acute Pulmonary Embolism: Devices, Technical Considerations, Risks, and Benefits.
Jaber WA, McDaniel MC. Interv Cardiol Clin. 2018 Jan;7(1):91-101. doi: 10.1016/j.iccl.2017.08.003. Review. PMID: 29157528

How I use catheter-directed interventional therapy to treat patients with venous thromboembolism.
Vedantham S, Sista AK. Blood. 2018 Jan 2. pii: blood-2016-11-693663. doi: 10.1182/blood-2016-11-693663. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 29295847

Catheter-directed, ultrasound-facilitated fibrinolysis in obese patients with massive and submassive pulmonary embolism.
Carroll BJ, Goldhaber SZ, Liu PY, Piazza G. J Thromb Thrombolysis. 2018 Jan 10. doi: 10.1007/s11239-018-1608-3. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 29322296