***TASK*** the task is to summarize an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
    ***INPUT*** the input is a biomedical literature 
    ***OUTPUT*** the output is the summary of an input biomedical literature in six sentences 
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    Input: Treatment with heparin or streptokinase was allocated r and omly to 30 patients with life-threatening pulmonary embolism verified by angiography . Treatment was given for 72 hours and pulmonary angiography was repeated . There was significantly greater ( P < 0·001 ) evidence of thrombolysis in those patients treated with streptokinase compared with those treated with heparin .  The reduction of systolic and mean pulmonary arterial pressures was also significantly greater ( P < 0·05 and P < 0·02 respectively ) in the streptokinase group . Seven patients failed to complete 72 hours of the trial treatment : five successfully underwent pulmonary embolectomy . Six of these “ failures ” had initial pulmonary angiographic scores of 24 or more and systemic systolic blood pressure recordings of 100 mm Hg or less . Patients with these features should probably be considered for pulmonary embolectomy as the initial treatment . A febrile reaction commonly occurred in the streptokinase group ; otherwise side effects were no more common than in the heparin group Dissolution of pulmonary emboli with heparin and urokinase is ascribed , respectively , to anticoagulation and fibrinolysis . Since truly independent assessment of these effects in man is lacking , we administered each drug alone . Fibrinogen and plasminogen plasma levels and the resolution of pulmonary emboli were measured in three r and omized groups of 10 patients each : groups A and C infused with small repeated doses of urokinase and a large single dose of urokinase , respectively , and group B who received heparin . After 6 h of treatment , fibrinogen fell in all the groups , while , after 12 h , remained equally reduced in groups A and B and declined further in group C. Plasminogen behaved similarly . Up to 60 h , statistical analysis showed that these effects were related to timing and amounts of urokinase and heparin infusion . These observations suggest that heparin may induce a lytic state . As to signs of pulmonary emboli resolution , no differences between groups were found in lung perfusion and gas exchange recovery at any time ( from 1 day to 1 year ) and in pulmonary artery pressure reduction at 1 week . The greater angiographic and scintigraphic recovery observed with urokinase , versus heparin alone , after 1 day of treatment in the Urokinase Pulmonary Embolism Trial may be ascribed to a synergistic effect with urokinase of heparin administered during the diagnostic work-out . The indications of heparin and urokinase should be evaluated in the light of these results BACKGROUND Acute pulmonary embolism ( PE ) can worsen quality of life due to persistent dyspnea or exercise intolerance . OBJECTIVE Test if tenecteplase increases the probability of a favorable composite patient-oriented outcome after submassive PE . METHODS Normotensive patients with PE and right ventricular ( RV ) strain ( by echocardiography or biomarkers ) were enrolled from eight hospitals . All patients received low-molecular-weight heparin followed by r and om assignment to either a single weight-based bolus of tenecteplase or placebo , administered in a double-blinded fashion . The primary composite outcome included : ( i ) death , circulatory shock , intubation or major bleeding within 5 days or ( ii ) recurrent PE , poor functional capacity ( RV dysfunction with either dyspnea at rest or exercise intolerance ) or an SF36 ( ® ) Physical Component Summary ( PCS ) score < 30 at 90-day follow-up . RESULTS Eighty-three patients were r and omized ; 40 to tenecteplase and 43 to placebo . The trial was terminated prematurely . Within 5 days , adverse outcomes occurred in three placebo-treated patients ( death in one and intubation in two ) and one tenecteplase-treated patient ( fatal intracranial hemorrhage ) . At 90 days , adverse outcomes occurred in 13 unique placebo-treated patients and five unique tenecteplase-treated patients Thus , 16 ( 37 % ) placebo-treated and six ( 15 % ) tenecteplase-treated patients had at least one adverse outcome ( exact two-sided P = 0.017 ) . CONCLUSIONS Treatment of patients with submassive pulmonary embolism with  tenecteplase  was associated with increased probability of a favorable composite outcome BACKGROUND The role of fibrinolytic therapy in patients with intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism is controversial . METHODS In a r and omized , double-blind trial , we compared tenecteplase plus heparin with placebo plus heparin in normotensive patients with intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism . Eligible patients had right ventricular dysfunction on echocardiography or computed tomography , as well as myocardial injury as indicated by a positive test for cardiac troponin I or troponin T. The primary outcome was death or hemodynamic decompensation ( or collapse ) within 7 days after r and omization . The main safety outcomes were major extracranial bleeding and ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke within 7 days after r and omization . RESULTS Of 1006 patients who underwent r and omization , 1005 were included in the intention-to-treat analysis .  Death or hemodynamic decompensation occurred in 13 of 506 patients ( 2.6 % ) in the tenecteplase group as compared with 28 of 499 ( 5.6 % ) in the placebo group ( odds ratio , 0.44 ; 95 % confidence interval , 0.23 to 0.87 ; P=0.02 ) . Between r and omization and day 7 , a total of 6 patients ( 1.2 % ) in the tenecteplase group and 9 ( 1.8 % ) in the placebo group died ( P=0.42 ) . Extracranial bleeding occurred in 32 patients ( 6.3 % ) in the tenecteplase group and 6 patients ( 1.2 % ) in the placebo group ( P<0.001 ) . Stroke occurred in 12 patients ( 2.4 % ) in the tenecteplase group and was hemorrhagic in 10 patients ; 1 patient ( 0.2 % ) in the placebo group had a stroke , which was hemorrhagic ( P=0.003 ) . By day 30 , a total of 12 patients ( 2.4 % ) in the tenecteplase group and 16 patients ( 3.2 % ) in the placebo group had died ( P=0.42 ) . CONCLUSIONS In patients with intermediate-risk pulmonary embolism , fibrinolytic therapy prevented hemodynamic decompensation but increased the risk of major hemorrhage and stroke . ( Funded by the Programme Hospitalier de Recherche Clinique in France and others ; PEITHO EudraCT number , 2006 - 005328 - 18 ; Clinical Trials.gov number , NCT00639743 . ) Abstract Background : The use of thrombolytic agents in the treatment of hemodynamically stable patients with acute submassive pulmonary embolism ( PTE ) remains controversial . We , therefore , conducted this study to compare the effect of thrombolytic plus anticoagulation versus anticoagulation alone on early death and adverse outcome following submassive PTE . Methods : We conducted a study of patients with acute pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension or right ventricular dilatation/dysfunction but without arterial hypotension or shock . The patients were r and omly assigned in a single-blind fashion to receive an anticoagulant [ Enoxaparin ( 1 mg/kg twice a day ) ] plus a thrombolytic [ Alteplase ( 100 mg ) or Streptokinase ( 1500000 u/2 hours ) ] or an anticoagulant [ Enoxaparin ( 1 mg/kg twice a day ) ] alone . The primary endpoint was in-hospital death or clinical deterioration requiring an escalation of treatment . The secondary endpoints of the study were major bleeding , pulmonary hypertension , right ventricular dilatation at the end of the first week , and exertional dyspnea at the end of the first month . Results : Of 50 patients enrolled , 25 patients were r and omly assigned to receive an anticoagulant plus a thrombolytic and the other 25 patients were given an anticoagulant alone . The incidence of the primary endpoints was significantly higher in the anticoagulant-alone group than in the thrombolytic-plus-anticoagulant group ( p value = 0.022 ) . At the time of discharge , pulmonary artery pressure was significantly higher in the anticoagulant-alone group than in the thrombolytic-plus-anticoagulant group ( p value = 0.018 ) ; however , reduction in the right ventricular size or normalization of the right ventricle showed non-significant differences between the two groups . There was no significant difference regarding the New York Heat Association ( NYHA ) functional class between the two groups at the end of the first month ( p value = 0.213 ) . No fatal bleeding or cerebral bleeding occurred in the patients receiving an anticoagulant plus a thrombolytic . Conclusion : When given in conjunction with anticoagulants , thrombolytics may improve the clinical course of stable patients who have acute submassive pulmonary embolism and prevent clinical deterioration The role of low-dose thrombolysis in the reduction of pulmonary artery pressure in moderate pulmonary embolism ( PE ) has not been investigated . Because the lungs are very sensitive to thrombolysis , we postulated that effective and safe thrombolysis might be achieved by a lower dose of tissue plasminogen activator . The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the role of this " safe dose " thrombolysis in the reduction of pulmonary artery pressure in moderate PE . During a 22-month period , 121 patients with moderate PE were r and omized to receive a " safe dose " of tissue plasminogen activator plus anticoagulation ( thrombolysis group [ TG ] , n = 61 patients ) or anticoagulation alone ( control group [ CG ] , n = 60 ) . The primary end points consisted of pulmonary hypertension and the composite end point of pulmonary hypertension and recurrent PE at 28 months . Pulmonary hypertension and the composite end point developed in 9 of 58 patients ( 16 % ) in the TG and 32 of 56 patients ( 57 % ) in the CG ( p < 0.001 ) and 9 of 58 patients ( 16 % ) in the TG and 35 of 56 patients ( 63 % ) in the CG ( p < 0.001 ) , respectively . The secondary end points were total mortality , the duration of hospital stay , bleeding at the index hospitalization , recurrent PE , and the combination of mortality and recurrent PE . The duration of hospitalization was 2.2 ± 0.5 days in the TG and 4.9 ± 0.8 days in the CG ( p < 0.001 ) . The combination of death plus recurrent PE was 1 ( 1.6 % ) in TG and 6 ( 10 % ) in the CG ( p = 0.0489 ) . No bleeding occurred in any group , and despite a positive trend in favor of a " safe dose " thrombolysis , no significant difference was noted in the rate of individual outcomes of death and recurrent PE when assessed independently . In conclusion , the results from the present prospect i ve r and omized trial suggests that " safe dose " thrombolysis is safe and effective in the treatment of moderate PE , with a significant immediate reduction in the pulmonary artery pressure that was maintained at 28 months BACKGROUND The effect of alteplase versus heparin in pulmonary embolism has not been studied extensively with serial pulmonary angiograms . OBJECTIVES The aim of this r and omized , open trial was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of alteplase followed by heparin , versus heparin alone , in 36 patients with angiographically documented pulmonary embolism . METHODS Twenty patients were allocated r and omly to a 2-h infusion of alteplase ( 10 mg bolus , then 90 mg over 2 h ) followed by heparin ; the other 16 patients were given intravenous heparin at a continuous infusion rate of 1,750 IU/h . RESULTS The vascular obstruction , assessed by the Miller index at pulmonary angiography , decreased significantly in alteplase-treated patients ( p less than 0.01 ) from a baseline of 28.3 + /- 2.9 to a value of 24.8 + /- 5.2 2 h after the start of infusion ; in the heparin group there was no change ( from 25.3 + /- 5.3 to 25.2 + /- 5.4 ) . Mean pulmonary artery pressure decreased significantly from a baseline of 30.2 + /- 7.8 mm Hg to 21.4 + /- 6.7 in the alteplase group and increased in the heparin group ( from 22.3 + /- 10.5 to 24.8 + /- 11.2 mm Hg ) . For a subset of patients , lung scans were performed at baseline and on days 7 and 30 . There were no differences between the two groups in the follow-up lung scans , but there were significant decreases from the baseline values . Bleeding occurred in 14 of 20 alteplase-treated patients and in  
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Conclusions In the treatment of PE , recanalisation procedures do not seem to offer a clear advantage compared with st and ard anticoagulation .
Low-dose thrombolysis was associated with the lowest probability of dying and bleeding .