This course explores the most challenging management problems that clinicians face when treating patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) and the complications of this important and potentially fatal condition. Distinguished faculty from multiple specialties (pulmonary/critical care, cardiology, interventional radiology, emergency medicine, anesthesia/critical care, thoracic surgery, and hematology/oncology) will present current information in the areas of pulmonary embolism pathophysiology, epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis, risk stratification, medical and interventional management, novel treatments, outcomes, and complications. The conference also emphasizes interaction between participants and faculty and allows ample time for case presentations and group panel discussions with a specific emphasis on the practicalities of forming a multidisciplinary Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT). The combination of didactics with a virtual PERT meeting ensures an outstanding interactive educational experience for attendees.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

At the completion of this program, participants should be better able to:

• Understand key aspects of the latest advances in the pathophysiology, risk factors, and diagnosis of PE
• Utilize echocardiogram and other imaging modalities in the evaluation of patients with suspected and confirmed PE
• Risk stratify patients into low-risk, submassive, and massive PE categories to better identify populations that are high risk for morbidity and mortality from their PE
• Manage patients with both low-risk and high-risk PE with a variety of treatment options, including anticoagulation, medical and interventional lysis strategies, and surgical therapies
• Recognize the potential short-term and long-term complications from PE and how to prevent and treat them
• Highlight unique patient populations with PE and their specific treatment challenges
• Promote and enhance coordinated multidisciplinary care of PE patients with a specific focus on the use of PERT teams

TARGET AUDIENCE

This course is targeted towards physicians active in the diagnosis and management of PE and Venous ThromboEmbolism (VTE), including pulmonology, critical care, hematology, cardiology, emergency medicine, interventional radiology, cardiac surgery, internal medicine, radiology and anesthesiology. Fellows, residents and allied health professionals such as nurse practitioners will also gain invaluable knowledge.

FACULTY INFO

John Moriarty, MD, FSIR
Co-Director, UCLA PERT
Associate Professor, Radiology and Medicine
Interventional Radiology
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA 

Marcella Calfon Press, MD, PhD, FACC 
Co-Director, UCLA PERT 
Assistant Clinical Professor 
Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine 
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA 

Tisha Wang, MD 
Co-Director, UCLA PERT 
Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine 
Clinical Division Chief 
Fellowship Program Director 
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department 
of Medicine 
David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA