New Guideline: Pulmonary Embolism Evaluation and Management

Have you got a PERT? Better get a PERT

The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) has traditionally provided the most influential clinical guidance on pulmonary embolism treatment through its comprehensive flagship guidelines addressing all aspects of venous thromboembolism.

In February 2026, the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology took the wheel to produce a new guideline on the evaluation and management of acute pulmonary embolism. ACCP contributed as a cosignatory, as did society representatives from emergency medicine (ACEP), interventional cardiology (SCAI), hospital medicine (SHM), interventional radiology (yes SIR), vascular medicine (SVM), and vascular nursing (SVN). PulmCCM is not affiliated with any specialty society.

The 75-page document can be read in its entirety here. In this series of posts, we’ll look at its key recommendations, their rationale, and the implications for clinical practice.

The new guideline proposes a new risk stratification/staging system for PE, encourages more outpatient treatment of low-risk PE, and addresses ongoing controversies regarding invasive therapies like mechanical thrombectomy and catheter-based thrombolysis.

Possibly the highest-impact change, though, is its new strong recommendation for hospitals to implement so-called pulmonary embolism response teams (PERTs), which will effectively usher in a new care standard and lead to wider use of invasive catheter-based therapies for intermediate and high-risk PE.

Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams (PERTs): A New Standard?