PUlmonary REhabilitation in Patients Suffering From Post-PE Syndrome

Inclusion criteria

• Post-PE syndrome (except patients previously diagnosed with CTEPH) diagnosed by any of the following:

• Post-PE functional impairment criteria
• Post-PE Cardiac Impairment criteria
• Chronic Thromboembolic Disease criteria
• Possibility of starting rehabilitation between 12 and 36 weeks after the initial event of PE

Exclusion criteria

• CTEPH diagnosis
• Chronic pulmonary diseases: COPD, interstitial lung diseases, asthma (only patients with severe asthma defined as a FEV1 ≤ 80% will be excluded), a statement on COVID-19 was amended due to the pandemic #
• Active cancer
• Pregnancy
• Myocardial infarction or cardiac surgery one year prior to inclusion
• Congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure
• History of stroke
• Any previous inpatient or outpatient PR

Additional criteria that are absolute contraindications for pulmonary rehabilitation

• Acute and decompensated disease states with severe functional restrictions of various organ systems (e.g. heart, kidney and liver insufficiency, unstable angina pectoris, hemodynamically unstable arrhythmias, acute spinal cord injury, untreated hormonal disorders, acute psychological disorders)
• open tuberculosis
• active infectious diseases and acute inflammatory processes
• Stressful and time-consuming therapy that significantly impair the ability to rehabilitate (e.g. chemotherapy or radiation therapy after malignancy)
• Participants who are not sufficiently resilient due to physical or mental impairment and / or cannot be mobilized and therefore cannot actively use the rehabilitation facility
• lack of motivation for therapy
• massive incontinence
• drugs and alcohol addiction