Short term effect of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator in patients with hemodynamically stable acute pulmonary embolism: results of a meta-analysis involving 464 patients

Abstract

By considering studies where a mixing of patients with and without shock, with or without invasive procedure, treated with various thrombolytic agents through different ways of infusion, have been included, current meta-analyses on thrombolysis efficacy in Pulmonary embolism (PE) are of limited value. Modern management of PE includes the use of both non-invasive diagnostic methods and intravenous rt-PA as thrombolytic agent.

Methods: We performed a meta-analysis of all randomized trials comparing rt-PA with heparin in patients with hemodynamically stable pulmonary embolism. Only the events clearly identified as related with the venous thromboembolic disease or with the treatment were considered.

Results: Five studies involving 464 patients were included. The pooled estimate from all the trials revealed a non-statistically significant reduction in death related to PE or pulmonary recurrence for rt-PA compared with heparin (3.5% versus 4.6%; RR 0.97, 95% CI 0.38 to 2.51, P for heterogeneity among the studies=0.73). Compared with heparin, rt-PA was not associated with a significant increase in major bleeding (4.9% versus 4.6%; RR 0.94, 95% CI 0.39 to 2.27). Similar results were found when only studies including patients with echocardiographic evidence of right ventricular dysfunction were considered.

Conclusion: Neither mortality due to pulmonary embolism nor objective pulmonary embolism recurrence are decreased by rt-PA compared with heparin in patients with hemodynamically stable pulmonary embolism. No benefit is suggested in studies including patients with right ventricular dysfunction alone.