Pulmonary Embolism: "Keep on Adding, Keep on Walking, Keep on Progressing"

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is one of the leading causes of cardiovascular death worldwide. 1 Konstantinides SV Meyer G Becattini C Bueno H Geersing GJ Harjola VP Huisman MV Humbert M Jennings CS Jiménez D Kucher N Lang IM Lankeit M Lorusso R Mazzolai L Meneveau N Ní Áinle F Prandoni P Pruszczyk P Righini M Torbicki A Van Belle E Zamorano JL ESC Scientific Document Group2019 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of acute pulmonary embolism developed in collaboration with the European Respiratory Society (ERS). Eur Heart J. 2020; 41: 543-603 Crossref PubMed Scopus (1849) Google Scholar ,2 Raskob GE Angchaisuksiri P Blanco AN Buller H Gallus A Hunt BJ Hylek EM Kakkar A Konstantinides SV McCumber M Ozaki Y Wendelboe A Weitz JI ISTH Steering Committee for World Thrombosis DayThrombosis: a major contributor to global disease burden. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2014; 34: 2363-2371 Crossref PubMed Scopus (7) Google Scholar Epidemiologic studies have reported annual incidence rates of 39 to 115 per 100,000 population for PE with up to 8 times higher rates in octogenarians. 3 Wendelboe AM Raskob GE Global burden of thrombosis: epidemiologic aspects. Circ Res. 2016; 118: 1340-1347 Crossref PubMed Scopus (603) Google Scholar Case fatality rates of hospitalized patients with PE are reported to be up to 10% in all presenters. 4 Jiménez D de Miguel-Díez J Guijarro R Trujillo-Santos J Otero R Barba R Muriel A Meyer G Yusen RD Monreal M RIETE InvestigatorsTrends in the management and outcomes of acute pulmonary embolism: analysis from the RIETE registry. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2016; 67: 162-170 Crossref PubMed Scopus (239) Google Scholar ,5 Dentali F Ageno W Pomero F Fenoglio L Squizzato A Bonzini M Time trends and case fatality rate of in-hospital treated pulmonary embolism during 11 years of observation in Northwestern Italy. Thromb Haemost. 2016; 115: 399-405 Crossref PubMed Scopus (76) Google Scholar Reported reduction of short mortality in PE during recent decades is probably because of a considerably improved diagnostic approach and advances in initial, risk-adapted treatment strategies. 1 Konstantinides SV Meyer G Becattini C Bueno H Geersing GJ Harjola VP Huisman MV Humbert M Jennings CS Jiménez D Kucher N Lang IM Lankeit M Lorusso R Mazzolai L Meneveau N Ní Áinle F Prandoni P Pruszczyk P Righini M Torbicki A Van Belle E Zamorano JL ESC Scientific Document Group2019 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of acute pulmonary embolism developed in collaboration with the European Respiratory Society (ERS). Eur Heart J. 2020; 41: 543-603 Crossref PubMed Scopus (1849) Google Scholar ,5 Dentali F Ageno W Pomero F Fenoglio L Squizzato A Bonzini M Time trends and case fatality rate of in-hospital treated pulmonary embolism during 11 years of observation in Northwestern Italy. Thromb Haemost. 2016; 115: 399-405 Crossref PubMed Scopus (76) Google Scholar