Pulmonary embolism is frequently under-recognised in children and, therefore, a high index of suspicion should be exerted on patients with exertional dyspnoea, presyncope/syncope and unexplained cardiopulmonary arrest. We discuss a 10-year-old previously healthy girl who presented with syncope and subsequent cardiac arrest related to massive pulmonary embolism and was salvaged successfully by emergent pulmonary embolectomy.

Background: Recanalization rates and patient outcomes in acute occlusion of the carotid terminus have previously been poor. The use of stent-retrievers has resulted in better recanalization and patient outcomes. We sought to compare outcomes in patients treated with stent-retrievers to outcomes in older techniques. Methods: We retrospectively compared a stent-retriever cohort to a historical cohort. We evaluated recanalization rates and good outcomes (defined as mRS < 2 at 30 days or 10 point drop in NIHSS). Results: There were twenty patients treated with stent-retrievers versus nine without. The recanalization rate in patients treated with stent retrievers was significantly higher than that of other modalities (90% vs 33%, p=0.004). Good outcomes were significantly higher in the stent retriever cohort (70% vs 22%, p=0.041). Conclusion: The use of stent-retrievers in patients with carotid “T” occlusions shows promise in comparison to older techniques. A randomized trial comparing stent-retriever therapy to IV thrombolysis is warranted to determine the efficacy of this new generation of devices.