Early Exercise-based Rehabilitation in High-risk Patients Hospitalized for Acute Pulmonary Embolism: a Pragmatic Multicenter Randomized Partially Blinded Superiority Trial
Up to half of patients with pulmonary embolism (PE) suffer from impaired quality of life, reduced physical capacity, and symptoms like shortness of breath even three months after diagnosis, despite standard treatment with anticoagulation (blood thinners). The randomized RehabPE trial investigates whether an early, structured rehabilitation program with physical training and patient education can prevent such long-term effects. The study includes hospitalized patients with acute symptomatic PE who are at increased risk of impaired quality of life three months after diagnosis. After informed consent, patients are randomly assigned to one of two groups: one receives an early 6-8-week, center-based rehabilitation program; the other receives standard follow-up care without rehabilitation. The intervention group completes 16-18 outpatient sessions of endurance and strength training, along with two education sessions covering the condition, treatment, and symptom management. Over 180 days, changes in quality of life, physical exercise capacity, breathlessness, and psychological symptoms, and the time to return to work / usual daily activities will be monitored and compared between groups.
• Age ≥18 years
• Hospitalization for objectively confirmed acute symptomatic PE, defined as intraluminal filling defect of a segmental or more proximal pulmonary artery on computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) or a high-probability ventilation-perfusion scintigraphy, and admission within the past 7 days
• Increased risk for post-PE syndrome, defined as simplified Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (sPESI) ≥1 point at the time of admission
• Written informed consent