Temple University Hospital has joined the national Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) Consortium as a founding member. The PERT Consortium is designed to facilitate the exchange of ideas and information related to the care of patients with pulmonary embolism (PE), and to advance the science of PE care by performing research, developing advanced treatment protocols and educating clinicians and community members. Temple joins 60 other U.S. healthcare institutions in the PERT Consortium.
"We are pleased to become a founding member of the PERT Consortium," says Parth Rali, MD, Assistant Professor of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University. "As a member of the Consortium, Temple is initiating and collaborating on clinical trials and quality improvement initiatives for patients with pulmonary embolism. This further distinguishes Temple for its nationally-recognized expertise in providing comprehensive care for patients with complicated lung conditions."
PE is the third most common cause of death from cardiovascular disease after heart attack and stroke. It is characterized by a sudden blockage in a pulmonary artery, most commonly by a blood clot. In the majority of PE cases, the blockage is small, and it is not deadly. Larger clots can stop blood flow from the heart, resulting in death. However, if PE is diagnosed and treated promptly, survival rates can improve significantly. Pulmonary embolism response teams are designed specifically to address this by coordinating and expediting treatment for patients with PE. Temple’s PERT is a multidisciplinary team of clinicians, including pulmonary & critical care, interventional radiology, interventional cardiology, emergency medicine, diagnostic radiology, clinical pharmacy, nuclear medicine, hematology, academic hospitalists, nursing, cardiovascular surgery and the Temple Transport Team, who work together to provide effective, time sensitive care for patients experiencing acute pulmonary embolism.
"Temple’s team utilizes an extremely well-organized, patient-centered process," adds Dr. Rali, who leads Temple’s PERT. "Being a multidisciplinary team, PERT prevents unnecessary delays for our patients and provides direct communication among the treating physicians in an effort to ensure that patients receive the appropriate treatment in the most efficient manner possible. Patients will also be followed by the members of the PERT team as an outpatient to provide continuity of care."