Adult respiratory distress syndrome following thrombolytic therapy for pulmonary embolism.

Pulmonary edema is rare in patients with pulmonary embolism and to our knowledge has not been described in association with thrombolytic therapy. We describe a patient with massive pulmonary embolism in whom the adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) developed shortly after a course of streptokinase therapy. The possible association between streptokinase therapy or pulmonary embolism and ARDS should be recognized as streptokinase gains wider clinical use.