Acute massive pulmonary thromboembolism in experiment. Comparison of the effect of fibrinolytic and anticoagulant treatment.

The authors have created a suitable model of a massive pulmonary thromboembolism with autologous blood clots in 38 dogs. The pathophysiological changes were studied, and the effect of the fibrinolytic and anticoagulation treatments were comparatively evaluated. The evaluation was based on angiopulmography, scanning of the lungs, ECG and postmorten findings. The most efficacious was the fibrinolytic treatment, which led to the cure of 4 out of 6 dogs. The heparin therapy was less efficacious. The spontaneous lysis of massive thromboemboli did not manifest itself within 12 hr. These experimental notions helped the authors to attain success in clinical routine, primarily with the fibrinolytic treatment.