Inferior Vena Cava Filters for Massive or Submassive Pulmonary Embolism?

Inpatient mortality can be as high as 30% for patients with acute massive and submassive pulmonary embolism (PE). Such high-risk patients might benefit from immediate placement of inferior vena cava (IVC) filters to prevent further embolization of thrombus; however, evidence of benefit is limited. Investigators analyzed data from five retrospective studies in which mortality was compared for 58 patients with PE who received IVC filters and 160 patients with PE who did not. Most studies involved patients with massive PE only; one study of 11 patients included both massive and submassive PE.

PE-related mortality was significantly lower in patients who received IVC filters than in those who did not (7% vs. 26%). Procedure-related complications …