Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation for Pulmonary Embolism During Pregnancy and Postpartum.

The maternal and fetal mortality rate in unstable pulmonary embolisms accompanied by obstructive cardiac shock is approximately 30%. An intervention aimed at the pulmonary clot is essential under these conditions. There are various ways of removing this clot from the pulmonary arteries, including thrombolytic administration, percutaneous catheter-based thrombectomy, and direct surgical clot removal. These procedures all have advantages and disadvantages. Increasing use is being made of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) as a means of reducing these risks to a minimum. There are studies recommending ECMO together with thrombolysis or surgical thrombectomy. However, which study is superior to another is unclear. The purpose of the present study was, therefore, to assess the benefits and risks of ECMO use in pregnant patients with pulmonary embolism and to endeavor to produce a new algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]