Thrombolysis during cardiopulmonary resuscitation in fulminant pulmonary embolism: A review

FPE can frequently produce cardiac arrest, which has an extremely high mortality despite application of the usual CPR measures. The administration of thrombolytic therapy during CPR could help to reduce the mortality, although it has classically been contraindicated. There are no published clinical trials or other high-grade studies that evaluated the efficacy and safety of this approach. From the few existing studies, it can be inferred that thrombolysis may be efficacious and safe for patients with FPE who need CPR. However, a clinical trial is required to provide evidence of value for sound clinical decision-making.