Early access
Sign in
Taking peopleNo phase

Early exercise rehabilitation for people in hospital with a blood clot in the lung

Tests an early exercise program in hospitalized adults with acute pulmonary embolism.

Key facts

Who runs it
Insel Gruppe AG, University Hospital Bern
Where
Switzerland6 sites in 1 countryChoose a country to see its sites
Trial code
Registry title
Early Exercise-Based Rehabilitation in Patients Hospitalized for Acute Pulmonary Embolism
Status
Recruiting
People taking part
160 people, planned
Started
17 Dec 2025
Expected to end
Jun 2028
Type of study
Interventional, 2 groupsOne group gets an existing treatment, for comparison.
Treatments tested
  • Exercise-based rehabilitation program
Record updated
12 June 2026

Who can take part

AI summary

From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.

The trial is looking for adults in hospital for a sudden blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism) who have a higher risk of lasting problems. It tests an early exercise and education program.

Age
18 years or older
Sex
All sexes
Disease stage
Confirmed acute pulmonary embolism with symptoms, in a segmental or larger lung artery, seen on CTPA or a high-probability ventilation-perfusion scan. Admitted to hospital within the past 7 days. sPESI score of 1 point or more at admission.
Earlier treatment
People cannot join if they had exercise-based rehabilitation in the last 6 months, have it now, or plan it. Planned supervised outpatient physiotherapy also excludes.

Main reasons for not taking part

  • Unstable heart conditions or other reasons that make exercise unsafe, such as inability to walk
  • Cannot take blood thinners
  • Expected to live less than 1 year
  • Known pregnancy
  • Cannot speak German or French

The registry criteria, word for word

Show all 16 criteriaShow less

Who can take part

  • 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

Who cannot take part

  • Planned hospitalization during follow-up (e.g., elective surgery or inpatient chemotherapy)
  • Participation in another study that prohibits concurrent participation in RehabPE
  • Prior enrollment in this study
  • Contraindication to EBR (known unstable cardiac conditions like angina pectoris, severe valvular heart disease, or severe resting pulmonary hypertension)
  • Medical condition that clearly precludes participation in EBR (e.g., inability to walk, unstable joints, severe neurological impairment)
  • Unable to provide informed consent (e.g., due to dementia)
  • Recently completed (i.e., <6 months), ongoing, or planned in- or outpatient EBR, or planned supervised outpatient physiotherapy for any indication
  • Contraindication to anticoagulation
  • Life expectancy <1 year based on the treating physician's clinical judgement
  • Known pregnancy
  • Inability to speak German or French
  • Unwilling to provide informed consent

This trial has no sites in United States.

It has sites in one country. Choose a country to see its sites.

About the trial

What the trial wants to find out

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.

Read full original descriptionShow less

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.

The 2 groups in the trial

  • Early exercise-based rehabilitation (EBR)Existing treatment, for comparison

    Early 6- to 8-week, center-based EBR program, and 2 educational sessions

    Treatment: Exercise-based rehabilitation program

  • usual care (no rehabilitation)No study treatment, for comparison

    Participants in the control group will receive usual care (i.e., no exercise-based rehabilitation program)

Questions to ask the study team

  1. How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
  2. Are travel costs paid?
  3. Can I keep my own doctor?
  4. What happens if I want to stop?

Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations

Print a page for my doctor

Data and sources

Registry record
Listed on ClinicalTrials.gov.
Official title
Early Exercise-based Rehabilitation in High-risk Patients Hospitalized for Acute Pulmonary Embolism: a Pragmatic Multicenter Randomized Partially Blinded Superiority Trial
Plain-language title
Early exercise rehabilitation for people in hospital with a blood clot in the lungGenerated from the registry record. The registry title is the official one.
AI summary
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Read by machine on 15 November 2026.
Record updated
12 June 2026