Influence of muscle strength on early mobility in critically ill adult patients: Systematic literature review

Audrey R Roberson; Angela Starkweather; Catherine Grossman; Edmund Acevedo; Jeanne Salyer

doi:10.1016/j.hrtlng.2017.10.003

Influence of muscle strength on early mobility in critically ill adult patients: Systematic literature review

Heart Lung. 2018 Jan-Feb;47(1):1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2017.10.003.

Authors

Audrey R Roberson¹, Angela Starkweather², Catherine Grossman³, Edmund Acevedo⁴, Jeanne Salyer⁵

Affiliations

¹ School of Nursing, Department of Adult Health and Nursing Services, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. Electronic address: aroberso@vcu.edu.
² Center for Advancement in Managing Pain, School of Nursing, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA. Electronic address: angela.starkweather@uconn.edu.
³ School of Medicine, Internal Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. Electronic address: catherine.grossman@vcuhealth.org.
⁴ School of Kinesiology and Human Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. Electronic address: eoacevedo@vcu.edu.
⁵ School of Nursing, Department of Adult Health and Nursing Services, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, USA. Electronic address: jsalyer@vcu.edu.

PMID: 29217105
DOI: 10.1016/j.hrtlng.2017.10.003

Abstract

Background: Muscle strength may be one indicator of readiness to mobilize that can be used to guide decisions regarding early mobility efforts and to progressively advance mobilization.

Objectives: To provide a synthesis of current measures of muscle strength in the assessment of early mobilization in critically ill adult patients who are receiving MV therapy.

Methods: Research studies conducted between 2000-2015 were identified using PubMed, CINHAL, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews databases using the search terms "muscle strength", "intensive care", "mechanical ventilation" and "muscle weakness".

Results: Nine articles used manual muscle testing, the Medical Research Council scale and/or hand-held dynamometer to provide objective measures for assessing muscle strength in the critically ill adult patient population.

Conclusions: Further research is needed to examine the application of standardized measures of muscle strength for guiding decisions regarding early and progressive advancement of mobility goals in adult ICU patients on MV.

Keywords: Early mobility; Intensive care; Mechanical ventilation; Muscle strength; Muscle weakness.

Publication types

Review
Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Adult
Critical Care / methods*
Critical Illness*
Humans
Intensive Care Units
Muscle Strength*
Muscle Weakness / physiopathology*
Muscle Weakness / therapy