Blood clot in the lung, also called pulmonary embolism, is the third most common cause of death in cardiovascular diseases in the Western world. A new form of treatment has been used in three hospitals in Sweden in the past year. And it has proven to be very effective.
– I hope and believe that more and more people will be able to benefit from this method in the future, says Fadi Jokhaji, senior physician at the heart clinic at Danderyd hospital.
The treatment method is so-called catheter-bound, which means that a plastic tube is inserted through the folds of the groin up to the lung’s circulation. Pictures are taken there to confirm the position of the plug, then there are several methods to remove the plugs.
– We use a suction technique or scraping, but it is also possible to break the plug with ultrasound, for example, says Fadi Jokhaji.
When the plug is then sucked out, you can see a direct improvement in terms of the acute stage – blood circulation improves immediately.
The treatment of pulmonary embolism has for many years consisted of blood thinning. The goal of blood thinning is to primarily prevent the clot from building up and allow the body to break it down. But blood-thinning and blood-clotting medicine works throughout the body and increases the risk of bleeding. According to Fadi Jokhaji, some patients also cannot be given blood-thinning medication because of a pre-existing increased risk of bleeding.
– They can either have an ongoing bleeding or other factors such as previous brain bleeding or recent surgery or childbirth. Hence the concept of removing the plugs and creating the conditions for better circulation, he says.
Clear advantages
According to Fadi Jokhaji, clear advantages have emerged with the method which means that in the future it may function more as a general treatment against pulmonary embolism, instead of as today where special patients are selected.
The method has been used internationally for several years. But it has only been used for one year at three Swedish hospitals – Danderyd Hospital, Södersjukhuset and Sahlgrenska University Hospital. But Fadi Jokhaji hopes that a larger patient group will be able to be offered the treatment in the future.
– I believe and hope that it will be a supplement to blood-thinning medications. The most important thing, however, is to ensure that each individual patient receives a treatment that is suitable. It must be said that quite a bit has happened in terms of research and progress in the area of lung clots in the past, so in that way this is a big development, he says.
Facts: Pulmonary embolism
Blood clot in the lung (pulmonary embolism) means that there is a blood clot in one or more of the lung’s blood vessels. The most common cause is that a blood clot that has formed in the leg has dislodged and followed the blood to the lung, where it stuck. The symptoms vary in severity depending on how big the blood clots are and how they sit in the lungs. The condition is relatively common among adults, and becomes more common with increasing age. Patients with severe symptoms often need to be treated in an intensive care unit. In the worst case, it leads to cardiac arrest.
Symptoms of a blood clot in the lung:
You get short of breath.
You may cough.
You get a hold on the side that hurts when you breathe in.
You suddenly get pain in your chest or back.
You feel more tired than usual.
You have less energy than usual.
You get a fever.
Source: 1177.se