Muscle weakness in critically ill patients: Effects of a systematized rehabilitation nursing program

Intensive care unit-acquired muscle weakness (ICUAW) in critically ill patients is frequent and associated with negative outcomes. Early rehabilitation is a strategy to improve outcomes. The aim was to assess the effects of a rehabilitation nursing programme at discharge from intensive care unit.

Quasi-experimental study with the comparison between two groups: one enrolled in a systematized nursing rehabilitation program and the other with usual nursing rehabilitation care. A non-probabilistic sample, sequential, of 42 critically ill ventilated patients, 21 patients in the control group and 21 patients the intervention group (June 2017 to June 2019), in three intensive care units of one large Portuguese teaching hospital. Mann-Whitney test was performed to compare Medical Research Council Sum Score (MRC-SS) values between groups.

Patients undergoing the rehabilitation program had a decrease in ICUAW (at ICU discharge mean MRC-SS = 38 vs. mean MRC-SS = 42.7, p = 0.043, U = 152,5). There was a decrease in severe muscle weakness (9.5% vs. 28.6%) and significant muscle weakness (42.9% vs. 52.4%) and an increase without muscle weakness (47,6% vs. 19%).

The systematic rehabilitation nursing program can improve muscle strength and reduce functional disability at the time of discharge from intensive care.