European Association Of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions Research Articles

Management of cardiac emergencies in women: a clinical consensus statement of the Association for Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC), the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), the Heart Failure Association (HFA), and the European Heart Rhythm Association (EHRA) of the ESC, and the ESC Working Group on Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy.

Cardiac emergencies in women, such as acute coronary syndromes, acute heart failure, and cardiac arrest, are associated with a high risk of adverse outcomes and mortality. Although women historically have been significantly underrepresented in clinical studies of these diseases, the guideline-recommended treatment for these emergencies is generally the same for both sexes. Still, women are less likely to receive evidence-based treatment compared to men. Furthermore, specific diseases affecting predominantly or exclusively women, such as spontaneous coronary dissection, myocardial infarction with non-obstructive coronary arteries, takotsubo cardiomyopathy, and peripartum cardiomyopathy, require specialized attention in terms of both diagnosis and management. In this clinical consensus statement, we summarize current knowledge on therapeutic management of these emergencies in women. Key statements and specific quality indicators are suggested to achieve equal and specific care for both sexes. Finally, we discuss several gaps in evidence and encourage further studies designed and powered with adequate attention for sex-specific analysis.

Evaluation and management of patients with coronary chronic total occlusions considered for revascularisation. A clinical consensus statement of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) of the ESC, the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) of the ESC, and the ESC Working Group on Cardiovascular Surgery.

Chronic total occlusions (CTOs) of coronary arteries can be found in the context of chronic or acute coronary syndromes; sometimes they are an incidental finding in those apparently healthy individuals undergoing imaging for preoperative risk assessment. Recently, the invasive management of CTOs has made impressive progress due to sophisticated preinterventional assessment, including advanced non-invasive imaging, the availability of novel and dedicated tools for CTO percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), and experienced interventionalists working in specialised centres. Thus, it is crucial that referring physicians who see patients with CTO be aware of recent developments and of the initial evaluation requirements for such patients. Besides a careful history and clinical examination, electrocardiograms, exercise tests, and non-invasive imaging modalities are important for selecting the patients most suitable for CTO PCI, while others may be referred to coronary artery bypass graft or optimal medical therapy only. While CTO PCI improves angina and reduces the use of antianginal drugs in patients with symptoms and proven ischaemia, hibernation and/or wall motion abnormalities at baseline or during stress, the effect of CTO PCI on major cardiovascular events is still controversial. This clinical consensus statement specifically focuses on referring physicians, providing a comprehensive algorithm for the preinterventional evaluation of patients with CTO and the current evidence for the clinical effectiveness of the procedure. The proposed care track has been developed by members and with the support of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI), and the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Working Group on Cardiovascular Surgery.

Epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of chronic right-sided heart failure and tricuspid regurgitation. A clinical consensus statement of the Heart Failure Association (HFA) and the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) of the ESC.

Right-sided heart failure and tricuspid regurgitation are common and strongly associated with poor quality of life and an increased risk of heart failure hospitalizations and death. While medical therapy for right-sided heart failure is limited, treatment options for tricuspid regurgitation include surgery and, based on recent developments, several transcatheter interventions. However, the patients who might benefit from tricuspid valve interventions are yet unknown, as is the ideal time for these treatments given the paucity of clinical evidence. In this context, it is crucial to elucidate aetiology and pathophysiological mechanisms leading to right-sided heart failure and tricuspid regurgitation in order to recognize when tricuspid regurgitation is a mere bystander and when it can cause or contribute to heart failure progression. Notably, early identification of right heart failure and tricuspid regurgitation may be crucial and optimal management requires knowledge about the different mechanisms and causes, clinical course and presentation, as well as possible treatment options. The aim of this clinical consensus statement is to summarize current knowledge about epidemiology, pathophysiology and treatment of tricuspid regurgitation in right-sided heart failure providing practical suggestions for patient identification and management.

Transcatheter interventions for left-sided valvular heart disease complicated by cardiogenic shock: a consensus statement from the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) in collaboration with the Association for Acute CardiovascularCare (ACVC) and the ESC Working Group on Cardiovascular Surgery.

Valvular heart disease (VHD) is one of the most frequent causes of heart failure (HF) and is associated with poor prognosis, particularly among patients with conservative management. The development and improvement of catheter-based VHD interventions have broadened the indications for transcatheter valve interventions from inoperable/high-risk patients to younger/lower-risk patients. Cardiogenic shock (CS) associated with severe VHD is a clinical condition with a very high risk of mortality for which surgical treatment is often deemed a prohibitive risk. Transcatheter valve interventions might be a promising alternative in this setting given that they are less invasive. However, supportive scientific evidence is scarce and often limited to small case series. Current guidelines on VHD do not contain specific recommendations on how to manage patients with both VHD and CS. The purpose of this clinical consensus statement, developed by a group of international experts invited by the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) Scientific Documents and Initiatives Committee, is to perform a review of the available scientific evidence on the management of CS associated with left-sided VHD and to provide a rationale and practical approach for the application of transcatheter valve interventions in this specific clinical setting.

Competency-based cardiac imaging for patient-centred care. A statement of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). With the contribution of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI), and the support of the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing & Allied Professions (ACNAP), the Association for Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC), the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC), the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions

Imaging plays an integral role in all aspects of managing heart disease and cardiac imaging is a core competency of cardiologists. The adequate delivery of cardiac imaging services requires expertise in both imaging methodology-with specific adaptations to imaging of the heart-as well as intricate knowledge of heart disease. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging have developed and implemented a successful education and certification programme for all cardiac imaging modalities. This programme equips cardiologists to provide high quality competency-based cardiac imaging services ensuring they are adequately trained and competent in the entire process of cardiac imaging, from the clinical indication via selecting the best imaging test to answer the clinical question, to image acquisition, analysis, interpretation, storage, repository, and results dissemination. This statement emphasizes the need for competency-based cardiac imaging delivery which is key to optimal, effective and efficient, patient care.

The role of coronary physiology in the management of percutaneous coronary intervention: Insights from the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) Consensus

The role of coronary physiology in the management of percutaneous coronary intervention: Insights from the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) Consensus

Competency-based cardiac imaging for patient-centred care. A statement of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). With the contribution of the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI), and the support of the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing & Allied Professions (ACNAP), the Association for Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC), the European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC), the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions

Abstract Imaging plays an integral role in all aspects of managing heart disease and cardiac imaging is a core competency of cardiologists. The adequate delivery of cardiac imaging services requires expertise in both imaging methodology—with specific adaptations to imaging of the heart—as well as intricate knowledge of heart disease. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging have developed and implemented a successful education and certification programme for all cardiac imaging modalities. This programme equips cardiologists to provide high quality competency-based cardiac imaging services ensuring they are adequately trained and competent in the entire process of cardiac imaging, from the clinical indication via selecting the best imaging test to answer the clinical question, to image acquisition, analysis, interpretation, storage, repository, and results dissemination. This statement emphasizes the need for competency-based cardiac imaging delivery which is key to optimal, effective and efficient, patient care.

Competency-based cardiac imaging for patient-centred care. A statement of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

Imaging plays an integral role in all aspects of managing heart disease and cardiac imaging is a core competency of cardiologists. The adequate delivery of cardiac imaging services requires expertise in both imaging methodology - with specific adaptations to imaging of the heart - as well as intricate knowledge of heart disease. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging (EACVI) of the ESC have developed and implemented a successful education and certification programme for all cardiac imaging modalities. This programme equips cardiologists to provide high quality competency-based cardiac imaging services ensuring they are adequately trained and competent in the entire process of cardiac imaging, from the clinical indication via selecting the best imaging test to answer the clinical question, to image acquisition, analysis, interpretation, storage, repository, and results dissemination. This statement emphasizes the need for competency-based cardiac imaging delivery which is key to optimal, effective and efficient, patient care.

Applied coronary physiology for planning and guidance of percutaneous coronary interventions. A clinical consensus statement from the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) of the European Society of Cardiology.

The clinical value of fractional flow reserve and non-hyperaemic pressure ratios are well established in determining an indication for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). In addition, over the last 5 years we have witnessed a shift towards the use of physiology to enhance procedural planning, assess post-PCI functional results, and guide PCI optimisation. In this regard, clinical studies have reported compelling data supporting the use of longitudinal vessel analysis, obtained with pressure guidewire pullbacks, to better understand how obstructive CAD contributes to myocardial ischaemia, to establish the likelihood of functionally successful PCI, to identify the presence and location of residual flow-limiting stenoses and to predict long-term outcomes. The introduction of new functional coronary angiography tools, which merge angiographic information with fluid dynamic equations to deliver information equivalent to intracoronary pressure measurements, are now available and potentially also applicable to these endeavours. Furthermore, the ability of longitudinal vessel analysis to predict the functional results of stenting has played an integral role in the evolving field of simulated PCI. Nevertheless, it is important to have an awareness of the value and challenges of physiology-guided PCI in specific clinical and anatomical contexts. The main aim of this European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions clinical consensus statement is to offer up-to-date evidence and expert opinion on the use of applied coronary physiology for procedural PCI planning, disease pattern recognition and post-PCI optimisation.

Management of coronary artery disease in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation. A clinical consensus statement from the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions in collaboration with the ESC Working Group on Cardiovascular Surgery.

Significant coronary artery disease (CAD) is a frequent finding in patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), and the management of these two conditions becomes of particular importance with the extension of the procedure to younger and lower-risk patients. Yet, the preprocedural diagnostic evaluation and the indications for treatment of significant CAD in TAVI candidates remain a matter of debate. In this clinical consensus statement, a group of experts from the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) in collaboration with the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Working Group on Cardiovascular Surgery aims to review the available evidence on the topic and proposes a rationale for the diagnostic evaluation and indications for percutaneous revascularisation of CAD in patients with severe aortic stenosis undergoing transcatheter treatment. Moreover, it also focuses on commissural alignment of transcatheter heart valves and coronary re-access after TAVI and redo-TAVI.

Antithrombotic treatment strategies in patients with established coronary atherosclerotic disease: 2022 joint clinical consensus statement of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), Association for Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC) and European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC).

Multiple guidelines and consensus papers have addressed the role of antithrombotic strategies in patients with established coronary artery disease (CAD). Since evidence and terminology continue to evolve, the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), European Association for Acute Cardiovascular Care (ACVC) and European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC) undertook a consensus initiative to guide clinicians to select the optimal antithrombotic regimen for each patient. The aim of this document is to provide an update for clinicians on best antithrombotic strategies in patients with established CAD, classifying each treatment option in relation to the number of antithrombotic drugs irrespective of whether the traditional mechanism of action is expected to mainly inhibit platelets or coagulation cascade. With the aim to reach comprehensiveness of available evidence, we systematically reviewed and performed meta-analyses by means of both direct and indirect comparisons to inform the present consensus document.

Renal denervation in the management of hypertension in adults. A clinical consensus statement of the ESC Council on Hypertension and the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI).

Since the publication of the 2018 European Society of Cardiology/European Society of Hypertension (ESC/ESH) Guidelines for the Management of Arterial Hypertension, several high-quality studies, including randomised, sham-controlled trials on catheter-based renal denervation (RDN) were published, confirming both the blood pressure (BP)-lowering efficacy and safety of radiofrequency and ultrasound RDN in a broad range of patients with hypertension, including resistant hypertension. A clinical consensus document by the ESC Council on Hypertension and the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) on RDN in the management of hypertension was considered necessary to inform clinical practice. This expert group proposes that RDN is an adjunct treatment option in uncontrolled resistant hypertension, confirmed by ambulatory BP measurements, despite best efforts at lifestyle and pharmacological interventions. RDN may also be used in patients who are unable to tolerate antihypertensive medications in the long term. A shared decision-making process is a key feature and preferably includes a patient who is well informed on the benefits and limitations of the procedure. The decision-making process should take (i) the patient's global cardiovascular (CV) risk and/or (ii) the presence of hypertension-mediated organ damage or CV complications into account. Multidisciplinary hypertension teams involving hypertension experts and interventionalists evaluate the indication and facilitate the RDN procedure. Interventionalists require expertise in renal interventions and specific training in RDN procedures. Centres performing these procedures require the skills and resources to deal with potential complications. Future research is needed to address open questions and investigate the impact of BP-lowering with RDN on clinical outcomes and potential clinical indications beyond hypertension.

Within and beyond 12-month efficacy and safety of antithrombotic strategies in patients with established coronary artery disease: two companion network meta-analyses of the 2022 joint clinical consensus statement of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI), European Association for Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC), and European Association of Preventive Cardiology (EAPC).

To appraise all available antithrombotic treatments within or after 12 months following coronary revascularization and/or acute coronary syndrome in two network meta-analyses. Forty-three (N=189261 patients) trials within 12 months and 19 (N=139086 patients) trials beyond 12 months were included for efficacy/safety endpoints appraisal. Within 12 months, ticagrelor 90mg bis in die (b.i.d.) [hazard ratio (HR), 0.66; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.49-0.88], aspirin and ticagrelor 90mg (HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.76-0.95), or aspirin, clopidogrel and rivaroxaban 2.5mg b.i.d. (HR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.51-0.86) were the only treatments associated with lower cardiovascular mortality, compared with aspirin and clopidogrel, without or with greater bleeding risk for the first and the other treatment options, respectively. Beyond 12 months, no strategy lowered mortality; compared with aspirin; the greatest reductions of myocardial infarction (MI) were found with aspirin and clopidogrel (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.55-0.85) or P2Y12 inhibitor monotherapy (HR, 0.76; 95% CI: 0.61-0.95), especially ticagrelor 90mg (HR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.32-0.92), and of stroke with VKA (HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.44-0.76) or aspirin and rivaroxaban 2.5mg (HR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.44-0.76). All treatments increased bleeding except P2Y12 monotherapy, compared with aspirin. Within 12 months, ticagrelor 90mg monotherapy was the only treatment associated with lower mortality, without bleeding risk trade-off compared with aspirin and clopidogrel. Beyond 12 months, P2Y12 monotherapy, especially ticagrelor 90mg, was associated with lower MI without bleeding trade-off; aspirin and rivaroxaban 2.5mg most effectively reduced stroke, with a more acceptable bleeding risk than VKA, compared with aspirin.Registration URL: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/; Unique identifiers: CRD42021243985 and CRD42021252398.

Renal denervation in the management of hypertension in adults. A clinical consensus statement of the ESC Council on Hypertension and the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI).

Since the publication of the 2018 European Society of Cardiology/European Society of Hypertension (ESC/ESH) Guidelines for the Management of Arterial Hypertension, several high-quality studies, including randomised, sham-controlled trials on catheter-based renal denervation (RDN) were published, confirming both the blood pressure (BP)-lowering efficacy and safety of radiofrequency and ultrasound RDN in a broad range of patients with hypertension, including resistant hypertension. A clinical consensus document by the ESC Council on Hypertension and the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) on RDN in the management of hypertension was considered necessary to inform clinical practice. This expert group proposes that RDN is an adjunct treatment option in uncontrolled resistant hypertension, confirmed by ambulatory BP measurements, despite best efforts at lifestyle and pharmacological interventions. RDN may also be used in patients who are unable to tolerate antihypertensive medications in the long term. A shared decision-making process is a key feature and preferably includes a patient who is well informed on the benefits and limitations of the procedure. The decision-making process should take (i) the patient's global cardiovascular (CV) risk and/or (ii) the presence of hypertension-mediated organ damage or CV complications into account. Multidisciplinary hypertension teams involving hypertension experts and interventionalists evaluate the indication and facilitate the RDN procedure. Interventionalists require expertise in renal interventions and specific training in RDN procedures. Centres performing these procedures require the skills and resources to deal with potential complications. Future research is needed to address open questions and investigate the impact of BP-lowering with RDN on clinical outcomes and potential clinical indications beyond hypertension.

Consenting practices in interventional cardiology: an analysis from the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI)

Abstract Background Consenting practices in interventional cardiology vary across different procedures, operators, centres and nations. Purpose In order to define best practice for obtaining informed patient consent, it is first necessary to understand how consenting practice differs. Methods An online survey of 20 questions was sent to all members of the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions, addressing consenting practices in elective and emergency scenarios. Results We received 483 responses from 74 countries. The majority of respondents (77%) were European operators. Responses were received from consultant cardiologists (n=370), fellows in training (n=55), allied health professionals (n=36) and others (n=21). Across all respondents, in elective practice, 427 (88.4%) operators obtain written consent for every procedure, the remainder (9.5%) obtain verbal consent only. Consent is obtained by the consultant or fellow who directly performs the procedure in 56.9% cases. For coronary angiography, pre-emptive consent for possible additional procedures (pressure wire and PCI) is taken by operators in all cases (58.6%), some cases (30.6%) and never (11.0%). Prior to interventional therapies, written information detailing the risk of the procedure is provided in every case by 63.8% of operators, sometimes by 25.1% of operators, and is never provided by 11.0% of operators. In emergency settings, where patients are conscious and have capacity to consent, 274 (56.7%) of respondents obtain written consent, 155 (33.1%) obtain verbal consent only and 52 (10.8%) stated that a consent process was not required. Where consciousness and capacity are impaired, 218 (45.1%) always, 118 (24.4%) sometimes and 145 (30%) never document a written capacity and best interests' assessment. When asked to rate the overall quality of consenting practices in their own institution, 279 (57.8%) stated these were “excellent” or “above average”, 165 (34.2%) were “average” and 39 operators described consenting practices in their institution as “below average” or “poor”. Conclusions Diversity in consenting practice spans elective and emergency procedures. These results suggest that there is substantial variation in the understanding of the rationale, legal requirement, and perceived best practices for consent. Further work should consider the merits of standardisation of consent processes across Europe. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Small Coronary Vessel Size: A Great Need for a Standardized Definition

Small Coronary Vessel Size: A Great Need for a Standardized Definition

Second generation drug eluting stent: The longer, the better?

Carlo Di Mario has received institutional research grants from AMGEN, Abbott Vascular, Behring, Boston Scientific, Chiesi Pharmaceuticals, Daiichi-Sankyo, Edwards Lifescience, Medtronic, Shockwave Medical, Volcano Philips. Selcuk Kucukseymen is the recipient of the clinical fellowship grant from the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI).

Data standards for acute coronary syndrome and percutaneous coronary intervention: the European Unified Registries for Heart Care Evaluation and Randomised Trials (EuroHeart).

Standardized data definitions are essential for monitoring and benchmarking the quality of care and patient outcomes in observational studies and randomized controlled trials. There are no contemporary pan-European data standards for the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The European Unified Registries for Heart Care Evaluation and Randomised Trials (EuroHeart) project of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) aimed to develop such data standards for ACS and PCI. Following a systematic review of the literature on ACS and PCI data standards and evaluation of contemporary ACS and PCI registries, we undertook a modified Delphi process involving clinical and registry experts from 11 European countries, as well as representatives from relevant ESC Associations, including the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) and Acute CardioVascular Care (ACVC). This resulted in final sets of 68 and 84 'mandatory' variables and several catalogues of optional variables for ACS and PCI, respectively. Data definitions were provided for these variables, which have been programmed as the basis for continuous registration of individual patient data in the online EuroHeart IT platform. By means of a structured process and the interaction with major stakeholders, internationally harmonized data standards for ACS and PCI have been developed. In the context of the EuroHeart project, this will facilitate country-level quality of care improvement, international observational research, registry-based randomized trials, and post-marketing surveillance of devices and pharmacotherapies.

Stent malapposition generates stent thrombosis: Insights from a thrombosis model

BackgroundCurrently, there exists differing conclusions on the role of acute stent malapposition and its role in stent thrombosis (ST). The European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) consensus recommends that acute malapposition <0.4 mm with longitudinal extension <1 mm need not be corrected since there is no clear correlation of malapposition with adverse clinical outcomes. However, malapposition was identified as the main mechanism of ST in the Bern and PESTO registries, and one of the three leading mechanism in the PRESTIGE study. MethodsIn this study, a validated perfused benchtop thrombosis model was deployed to evaluate the role of both stent under-expansion (UE) and acute stent malapposition (MA) on thrombus formation in vitro in a controlled reproducible environment. ResultsThe results showed that UE alone did not result in acute thrombus formation, but UE together with MA did. The data suggested that a MA distance of 0.25 mm led to significant thrombus formation; and a positive correlation exists between the longitudinal extension of the MA and the thrombus volume formed. ConclusionExperiments in this in vitro model demonstrated that platelets and a thrombosis cascade were activated and developed around large segments of malapposed stent. This was significantly more thrombus formation than in the under-expanded stent region.

Current use of catheter directed treatment of acute PE in Europe: results of survey of EAPCI and ESC Working Group on Pulmonary Circulation and Right Ventricular Function

Abstract Aims This survey conducted by the European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) and ESC Working Group on Pulmonary Circulation &amp; Right Ventricular Functioncollected information on current practices in catheter-directed treatment (CDT) of acute pulmonary embolism (PE) among cardiology intervention centers in European countries. Methods and results Responses from 157 Catheterization laboratories (Cath Lab) representing European countries were collated and analyzed.Sixty seven centers (43%) centers reported application of CDT in PE patients. Almost all centers performing CDT (96%) provided 24/7 service and had experience with a wide spectrum of percutaneous interventions including those for the treatment of structural heart diseases; 53% of the Cath labs utilizing CDT were located in teaching hospitals, and involved 5 to 10 interventional cardiologists performing more than 600 coronary procedures per year. The survey showed a rapid increase in CDT use in European countries after 2015 (45 out of 67 centers). Over 60% of responding centers performed 5–10 CDT procedures per year. It was estimated that 24 patients were treated with CDT per center on a yearly base. The majority of centers (80.3%) indicated that CDT is used in high-risk PE patients, while 38% also apply CDT to intermediate high risk PE. The survey revealed that pigtail catheters are most commonly used for CDT (49%), while dedicated systems such as AngioJet, Indigo and EKOS were reported to be used in 25%, 23.81% and 20.24% of the centers, respectively. Local thrombolysis during CDT was used in 71% of the procedures. More than 60% of the responders indicated that according to their expert opinion CDT will be routinely used in PE patients in the future. However, they stressed the need for randomized trials to evaluate the safety and efficacy of CDT and determine the patients that would benefit most. Conclusions According to the survey, use of CDT in patients with PE is increasing over time. Currently, it is mostly but not exclusively applied to patients with high-risk PE. The respondents indicated the need for high-quality randomized trials to establish the optimal indication for CDT and further standardize the use of the available techniques. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.