Prevention of Hospital-Acquired Deconditioning

Abstract

Hospitalization is a catastrophic medical event, especially for the elderly. When treatment results are not as expected, this could result in further impairment and mortality. Even when treatment is successful, prolonged bed rest may cause a significant decline in the functional capability of organ systems. Deconditioning is defined as the multiple changes in organ system physiology that are induced by inactivity and reversed by activity (Kortebein, 2014). 1 A decrease in muscle mass and muscular weakness is the most important issue. In the past when there were limited medical treatment tools, prolonged bed rest or immobility was viewed as an important component of treatment. However, bed rest is often accompanied by a negative effect of functional decline (Bartels and Prince, 2016). 2 This is particularly so for patients at the post–acute stage or long-term-care settings. The elderly, disabled, and chronic disease patients belong to high-risk groups, which often involve patient dependency with respect to activities of daily living or institutionalization. Therefore, preventing deconditioning is an important element of a rehabilitation strategy (Kortebein et\xa0al., 2016). 3