A nationwide analysis of reperfusion therapies for pulmonary embolism in older patients with frailty

Reperfusion therapy is challenging in the elderly. Catheter-directed therapies are an alternative for higher-risk pulmonary embolism (PE) patients if systemic thrombolysis (ST) is contraindicated or has failed. Their safety has not been evaluated in specific vulnerable populations.We aimed to assess the safety of reperfusion therapies in elderly and frail patients in the real world.In the US Nationwide Inpatient Sample from 2016 to 2020, we identified hospitalisations of patients ≥65 years with PE and defined a frailty subgroup using the Johns Hopkins Adjusted Clinical Groups frailty-defining diagnosis indicator. We investigated reperfusion therapies (ST, catheter-directed thrombolysis [CDT], catheter-based thrombectomy [CBT], surgical embolectomy [SE]) and their associated safety outcomes (overall and major bleeding).Among 980,245 hospitalisations of patients ≥65 years with PE (28.0% frail), reperfusion therapies were used in 4.9% (17.6% among high-risk PE). ST utilisation remained stable, while the use of catheter-directed therapies increased from 1.7% in 2016 to 3.2% in 2020. Among all hospitalisations with reperfusion, CDT, compared to ST, was associated with reduced major bleeding (5.8% vs 12.2%, odds ratio [OR] 0.58, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.49-0.70); these results also applied to frail patients. CBT, compared to SE, was also associated with reduced major bleeding (11.0% vs 22.4%, OR 0.63, 95% CI: 0.43-0.91), but not among frail patients. These differences were particularly significant in patients with non-high-risk PE. Differences persisted for overall bleeding as well.Catheter-directed therapies may be a safer alternative to classical reperfusion therapies for elderly and frail patients with PE requiring reperfusion treatment.