Cardiac arrest caused by acute pulmonary embolism is associated with high patient mortality. We reviewed patients who had cardiac arrest by acute pulmonary embolism. Between January 2001 and September 2013 we identified 20 patients at our institution with a confirmative diagnosis of acute pulmonary thromboembolism and cardiac arrest. Percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (PCPS) and surgical embolectomy is the standard course of care for patients in shock or cardiac arrest due to pulmonary thromboembolism at our institution. Patients were divided into two groups (PCPS group, No PCPS group). PCPS was used in 60%. Surgical embolectomy was performed for 85%. Overall in-hospital and surgical mortalities were 35% and 29%, respectively. Based on multivariate analysis, both cardiopulmonary resuscitation > 15 minutes and absence of PCPS were significant risk factors affecting survival (p = 0.001 and 0.049, respectively). When the duration of cardiac arrest is short, surgical embolectomy is a viable option after cardiac arrest due to pulmonary thromboembolism. PCPS may be a useful tool for both patient stabilization and providing a bridge when deciding upon further management options.