Motor physiotherapy in intensive care adult patients

This study aimed to review the literature addressing motor physical therapy for intensive care unit adult patients. A literature search was conducted in the databases, PubMed, MedLine (International Literature and Health), LILACS (Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences) and Cochrane between 1995 and December 2008 using the keywords: physical therapy, mobilization and intensive care unit. For comparison purposes we selected randomized controlled trials and prospective studies, addressing the subject motor physical therapy for intensive care unit adult patients. Pediatric and experimental studies, systematic reviews and meta-analysis were excluded. Of the 121 articles identified, only 4 met the inclusion criteria. Among these, three focused early motor physical therapy in patients with a range of diagnoses, showing that these patients left the bed and walked earlier, and stayed shorter both in the intensive care unit and hospital. Furthermore, patients on early motor physical therapy had shorter mechanical ventilation duration. Another paper compares the use of electrical stimulation associated with physical therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients, showing increased muscle strength and shorter time for these patients bed to chair transference as compared with those only receiving physiotherapy. The risks of immobilization in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients are not fully understood. However, it is clear that the survivors show impaired quality of life due to persistent weakness and fatigue. Early mobilization is a new area, with little evidence so far. However, recent studies have confirmed that mechanically ventilated patients mobilization is safe and feasible, reducing both the intensive care unit and hospital stay. However, more studies are warranted to identify the exercise type, duration, intensity and impact for of early motor therapy in specific groups of patients.