Pulmonary Embolism: Treatments

Pulmonary embolism, or PE, is a sudden blockage in a lung artery. The blockage usually is caused by a blood clot that travels to the lung from a vein in the leg.

Part of: Pulmonary Embolism

About Pulmonary Embolism Treatments

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is treated with medicines, procedures, and other therapies. The main goals of treating PE are to stop the blood clot from getting bigger and keep new clots from forming.

Treatment may include medicines to thin the blood and slow its ability to clot. If your symptoms are life threatening, your doctor may give you medicine to quickly dissolve the clot. Rarely, your doctor may use surgery or another procedure to remove the clot.

Medicines

Anticoagulants (AN-te-ko-AG-u-lants), or blood thinners, decrease your blood’s ability to clot. They’re used to stop blood clots from getting larger and prevent clots from forming. Blood thinners don’t break up blood clots that have already formed. (The body dissolves most clots with time.)

You can take blood thinners as either a pill, an injection, or through a needle or tube inserted into a vein (called intravenous, or IV, injection)… Read more about Pulmonary Embolism: Treatments