Table 2.

Indications and contraindications for outpatient cardiac rehabilitation [3]

Indications

Acute coronary syndrome (STEMI and NSTEMI)

Aortocoronary bypass surgery

Other surgeries of the heart and the big vessels

Heart and lung transplantation

Chronic heart failure (NYHA stage II, III)

PCI

Stable coronary heart disease

Pulmonary hypertension

Peripheral artery occlusive disease (claudicatio intermittens)

Prevention in motivated high risk patients (SCORE: 10-year risk of cardiovascular death of >5%; PROCAM: coronary event of >20%)

Electrophysiological intervention

Implantation of a cardiac pacemaker or a defibrillator

Hemodynamically stable arrhythmia

Sustained ventricular tachycardia or cardiac arrest

Contraindications

Unstable angina pectoris

Heart failure (NYHA IV)

Acute endomyocarditis or other acute infections

Recent pulmonary artery embolism or phlebothrombosis

Hemodynamically relevant arrhythmia

Critical obstructions of the left ventricular outflow tract

Patients that cannot be rehabilitated because of physical, psychological or mental limitations

NSTEMI non-STEMI, NYHA New York Heart Association, PCI percutaneous coronary intervention, SCORE Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation, PROCAM Prospective Cardiovascular Münster Study, STEMI ST segment elevation myocardial infarction