Ep. 654 Advances in PE Treatment Guidelines with Dr. Jay Giri and Dr. Trevor Cummings

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.

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This podcast is supported by

Stryker Peripheral Vascular, formerly Inari Medicalhttps://www.inarimedical.com/flowtriever-system

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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

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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.