The Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) Consortium Registry was founded in 2016 with the goal of collecting comprehensive real-world data on PE patients treated by specialized PERTs across the U.S.
With nearly 10 years of data, the PERT Registry has become a valuable source for longitudinal data on PE presentations and practice patterns.
This past month, JACC published an original research study on trends in PE interventions observed within the PERT Registry, led by Interventional Cardiology fellow Dr. Joseph Kim with support from Drs. Mewaldt, Yeh, Secemsky, and Carroll.
Their paper, titled "Mechanical Thrombectomy and Catheter-Directed Thrombolysis in Acute Pulmonary Embolism: Trends and Practice Patterns in the PERT Consortium Registry (2016-2024)", explores how mechanical thrombectomy (MT) and catheter-directed thrombolysis (CDT) indications and use have shifted over the last decade. The authors observe that MT has become the dominant catheter-based therapy for acute PE, surpassing CDT use in 2021. They also find that higher-acuity patients have been increasingly referred for catheter-based therapies over the last 10 years.
The findings of Kim et al. suggest hopeful trends in technological innovation and operator confidence for PE interventions, while highlighting the growing emphasis on treating more acutely ill patients.
Interestingly, the paper's February publication in JACC happened to coincide with the release of the 2026 Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Acute Pulmonary Embolism in Adults, an annual report from the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines.
The Guideline, which is based on a comprehensive search of that year's PE literature, is a key informer of the national clinical approach to PE management.
The 2026 report includes a new clinical PE risk classification scheme with 5 categories and subcategories, as well as new evidence-based recommendations for risk-scaled treatment and discharge management. These guidelines stand to be highly influential on PE management trends in the coming years, elevating the importance of Kim et al's study as a valuable benchmark analysis with which future trends can be compared.