💉 Lysis Before Collapse: PRAGUE-26 Changes the PE Conversation

🫁 Stable—but not safe. Should we intervene before patients crash?

PRAGUE-26 randomized 558 patients with intermediate-high–risk acute pulmonary embolism to catheter-directed low-dose alteplase + anticoagulation or anticoagulation alone. The 7-day composite of death, recurrent PE, or cardiorespiratory decompensation/collapse fell from 6.8% to 0.7% (RR 0.10; P—mainly through fewer episodes of decompensation. 🎯

Major bleeding was not increased, although 2 intracranial hemorrhages occurred with thrombolysis. 🩸

💡 The emerging paradigm: prevent the crash rather than rescue it.