Thrombolysin Treatment of Pulmonary Embolism Following Surgery

Abstract

This report describes 2 instances in which a fibrinolytic agent was employed shortly after major surgery. In both instances, respiratory difficulty and cyanosis developed following surgery. In 1 case, 5 hours had elasped and in the second, 16 hours had elasped between surgery and initial treatment with fibrinolysin. Both patients improved rapidly following fibrinolytic therapy and suffered no apparent hemorrhage, not even from the recent surgical wounds.