Non-Ultrasound-Guided Versus Ultrasound-Guided Femoral Venous Puncture in the Interventional Pulmonary Embolism Era: Does Ultrasound Guidance Improve Safety and Feasibility?

Background

The use of interventional endovascular therapy for pulmonary embolism (PE) has become increasingly important over the last decade. In contrast to other cardiovascular interventions, these procedures carry a higher risk of access-related bleeding due to the acute clinical setting, elevated body mass index, and the frequent need for high-dose anticoagulation. However, there is still no clear consensus regarding the optimal vascular access site for endovascular PE therapy or the impact of ultrasound (US)-guided puncture on access-related complications.