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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2018 Apr 27;22(1):110.
doi: 10.1186/s13054-018-2030-0.

Comparison of exercise intensity during four early rehabilitation techniques in sedated and ventilated patients in ICU: a randomised cross-over trial

Clément Medrinal  1   2 , Yann Combret  3   4 , Guillaume Prieur  5 , Aurora Robledo Quesada  5 , Tristan Bonnevie  6   7   8 , Francis Edouard Gravier  8 , Elise Dupuis Lozeron  9 , Eric Frenoy  10 , Olivier Contal  11 , Bouchra Lamia  6   7   12   13
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Comparison of exercise intensity during four early rehabilitation techniques in sedated and ventilated patients in ICU: a randomised cross-over trial

Clément Medrinal et al. Crit Care. .

Abstract

Background: In the ICU, out-of-bed rehabilitation is often delayed and in-bed exercises are generally low-intensity. Since the majority of rehabilitation is carried out in bed, it is essential to carry out the exercises that have the highest intensity. The aim of this study was to compare the physiological effects of four common types of bed exercise in intubated, sedated patients confined to bed in the ICU, in order to determine which was the most intensive.

Methods: A randomised, single-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial was carried out to evaluate the effects of four bed exercises (passive range of movements (PROM), passive cycle-ergometry, quadriceps electrical stimulation and functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycling) on cardiac output. Each exercise was carried out for ten minutes in ventilated, sedated patients. Cardiac output was recorded using cardiac Doppler ultrasound. The secondary aims were to evaluate right heart function and pulmonary and systemic artery pressures during the exercises, and the microcirculation of the vastus lateralis muscle.

Results: The results were analysed in 19 patients. FES cycling was the only exercise that increased cardiac output, with a mean increase of 1 L/min (15%). There was a concomitant increase in muscle oxygen uptake, suggesting that muscle work occurred. FES cycling thus constitutes an effective early rehabilitation intervention. No muscle or systemic effects were induced by the passive techniques.

Conclusion: Most bed exercises were low-intensity and induced low levels of muscle work. FES cycling was the only exercise that increased cardiac output and produced sufficient intensity of muscle work. Longer-term studies of the effect of FES cycling on functional outcomes should be carried out.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02920684 . Registered on 30 September 2016. Prospectively registered.

Keywords: Early rehabilitation; Intensive care unit; Mechanical ventilation; Metabolism; Sedation.

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Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Ethical approval was granted by the French Comité de Protection des Personnes Nord-Ouest 3 (2016–04). All patients or their relatives provided informed consent to participate.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Study design. PROM, passive range of leg movement; FES, functional electrical stimulation
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Cardiac output over time for each exercise. Black circles represent passive range of leg movement (PROM); black squares represent passive cycle-ergometry; blue triangles represent quadriceps electrical stimulation; red triangles represent functional electrical stimulation cycling (FES-Cycling). *Significantly different between PROM and FES-Cycling; †significantly different between passive cycle-ergometery and FES-Cycling; ‡significantly different between quadriceps electrical stimulation and FES-Cycling
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Relative change in haemoglobin at the end of each exercise. Red bars represent oxyhaemoglobin (HbO2); blue bars represent deoxyhaemoglobin (HHb); green bars represent total haemoglobin (THb); *p < 0.05 for comparison between baseline and the end of the exercise
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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