Ep. 38 Advances in PE Treatment Guidelines with Dr. Jay Giri and Dr. Trevor Cummings
BackTable CardiologyShow Notes
Will new PE guidelines redefine risk and therapy in pulmonary embolism (PE) care? In this episode of the BackTable podcast, host Dr. Michael Barraza is joined by interventional cardiologist Dr. Jay Giri and emergency physician Dr. Trevor Cummings to break down the latest changes in PE management. They discuss how multidisciplinary pulmonary embolism response teams (PERT) are implementing these guidelines at their institutions, the introduction of a more nuanced A-E risk stratification system, and the challenges of enrolling experienced centers into clinical trials as device innovation accelerates.
---
Get the BackTable apphttps://www.backtable.com/app
---
This podcast is supported by
Stryker Peripheral Vascular, formerly Inari Medicalhttps://www.inarimedical.com/flowtriever-system
---
Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction 01:24 - Building a PERT Team04:59 - Trials Shaping PE Care 10:20 - Why New Guidelines Now 14:06 - New Risk Categories Explained 19:51 - Applying Guidelines Locally 23:34 - What Is C1 Risk 27:52 - New D Category Explained 30:33 - Evidence for Aggressive Therapy 33:31 - How PERT Teams Communicate 38:22 - Upcoming PE Trials Pipeline 43:42 - Program Growth and High Risk Trials 45:46 - Closing Remarks
---
More about this episode
The conversation highlights the growth of catheter-directed lysis and mechanical thrombectomy, the rationale and practical impact of the new Category D for incipient cardiopulmonary failure (including normotensive shock), and the incorporation of PESI, sPESI, and Hestia for risk assessment. Additional topics include decision-making for low-risk patients, lactate and biomarkers for identifying higher-risk cases, communication strategies within PERT teams, AI-enabled risk stratification, and a preview of upcoming trials (PEITHO, PRAGUE-26, PEERLESS-2, PE-TRACT, and PERSEVERE) that are set to further transform PE care.
---
Resources
Management of Massive and Submassive Pulmonary Embolism, Iliofemoral Deep Vein Thrombosis, and Chronic Thromboembolic Pulmonary Hypertension: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Associationhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21422387/
Surgical Management and Mechanical Circulatory Support in High-Risk Pulmonary Embolisms: Historical Context, Current Status, and Future Directions: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Associationhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36688837/
Interventional Therapies for Acute Pulmonary Embolism: Current Status and Principles for the Development of Novel Evidence: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Associationhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31585051/
Ultrasound-Facilitated, Catheter-Directed Fibrinolysis for Acute Pulmonary Embolismhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41910345/
PEERLESS II: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Large-Bore Thrombectomy Versus Anticoagulation in Intermediate-Risk Pulmonary Embolismhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39132600/
Rationale and design of the PE-TRACT trial: A multicenter randomized trial to evaluate catheter-directed therapy for the treatment of intermediate-risk pulmonary embolismhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39638275/
Reduced-Dose Intravenous Thrombolysis for Acute Intermediate–High-risk Pulmonary Embolism: Rationale and Design of the Pulmonary Embolism International THrOmbolysis (PEITHO)-3 trialhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34560806/
Design and rationale of the PERSEVERE study: a randomized controlled trial of large-bore mechanical thrombectomy versus the standard of care for high-risk pulmonary embolism https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41453591/
Design and rationale of PRAGUE-26: a multicentre, randomised trial of catheter-directed thrombolysis for intermediate-high risk acute pulmonary embolismhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40464677/
---
BackTable Cardiology is the go-to podcast for interventional cardiologists, cardiac surgeons, and other healthcare professionals that manage cardiovascular conditions.
Download the free BackTable app to get early
More from BackTable Cardiology
Drug-coated balloons and a head-to-head trial against lithotripsy have put cutting and scoring balloons back at the center of complex percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). On this episode of BackTable Cardiology, Dr. Nyal Borges interviews Dr. Ziad Ali, director of the DeMatteis Cardiovascular Institute, for an in-depth look at the mechanics, selection, and technique behind cutting and scoring balloons in complex PCI. They cover how these devices create a controlled dissection in fibrolipidic plaque, why they only fracture calcium that sits right at the lumen, and how lesion type and imaging should guide the choice between a conventional balloon, a specialty balloon and intravascular lithotripsy.
What does it actually take to open a chronically occluded pulmonary artery without pushing the patient into reperfusion pulmonary edema? On this episode of BackTable Cardiology, Dr. Hady Lichaa interviews Dr. Riyaz Bashir, interventional cardiologist and vascular medicine specialist at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, about the real-world, table-side technique of balloon pulmonary angioplasty for chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). They walk through vascular access, telescoping sheath setup, right heart catheterization, pressure wire guidance, balloon sizing, and step-by-step planning for each lobe and lesion.
When your questions in cardiology go beyond the bedside and into healthcare innovation and transformation, is an executive MBA your next step? On this episode of BackTable Cardiology, Dr. Ankit Patel interviews Dr. Abdulla A. Damluji of the Cleveland Clinic about his journey from clinical cardiology to business school, and how an MBA empowered him to drive real change in healthcare. Dr. Damluji shares how business education gave him the tools to lead new programs, challenge the financial assumptions behind emerging technologies, and build a cardiovascular center focused on aging.
When a coronary lesion won’t open at conventional pressures, what can an ultra-high pressure balloon do differently? On this episode of BackTable Cardiology, host Dr. Hady Lichaa welcomes Dr. Deepak Kapoor, interventional cardiologist at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, to discuss the science, safety, and real-world applications of ultra-high pressure (UHP) balloons in calcified coronary intervention. Dr. Kapoor walks through the evolution of balloon design, the main scenarios where UHP balloons are most useful, and the technical details that set these devices apart from standard non-compliant balloons and other calcium modification tools.
As new guidelines redefine risk stratification for pulmonary embolism (PE), emerging technologies are also changing what it means to achieve procedural success. On this episode of the BackTable Podcast, interventional radiologist Dr. Julie Bulman (BIDMC) and interventional cardiologist Dr. Jay Giri (Penn Medicine) join host Dr. Chris Beck to discuss the evolving frameworks and technologies redefining standards for catheter-directed treatment of intermediate- and high-risk PE. They discuss the role of multidisciplinary PERT teams, patient selection, the impact of new thrombectomy devices, and why autologous blood return is a growing consideration for procedural success.