Jennifer Paratz

Expert consensus and recommendations on safety criteria for active mobilization of mechanically ventilated critically ill adults.

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to develop consensus recommendations on safety parameters for mobilizing adult, mechanically ventilated, intensive care unit (ICU) patients.MethodsA systematic literature review was followed by a meeting of 23 multidisciplinary ICU experts to seek consensus regarding the safe mobilization of mechanically ventilated patients.ResultsSafety considerations were summarized in four categories: respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological and other. Consensus was achieved on all criteria for safe mobilization, with the exception being levels of vasoactive agents. Intubation via an endotracheal tube was not a contraindication to early mobilization and a fraction of inspired oxygen less than 0.6 with a percutaneous oxygen saturation more than 90% and a respiratory rate less than 30 breaths/minute were considered safe criteria for in- and out-of-bed mobilization if there were no other contraindications. At an international meeting, 94 multidisciplinary ICU clinicians concurred with the proposed recommendations.ConclusionConsensus recommendations regarding safety criteria for mobilization of adult, mechanically ventilated patients in the ICU have the potential to guide ICU rehabilitation whilst minimizing the risk of adverse events.

Reduced inspiratory muscle endurance following successful weaning from prolonged mechanical ventilation.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Respiratory muscle weakness and decreased endurance have been demonstrated following mechanical ventilation. However, its relationship to the duration of mechanical ventilation is not known. The aim of this study was to assess respiratory muscle endurance and its relationship to the duration of mechanical ventilation. DESIGN Prospective study. SETTING Tertiary teaching hospital ICU. PATIENTS Twenty subjects were recruited for the study who had received mechanical ventilation for > or = 48 h and had been discharged from the ICU. MEASUREMENTS FEV1, FVC, and maximal inspiratory pressure (P(I(max)) at functional residual capacity were recorded. The P(I(max)) attained following resisted inspiration at 30% of the initial P(I(max)) for 2 min was recorded, and the fatigue resistance index (FRI) [P(I(max)) final/P(I(max))initial] was calculated. The duration of ICU length of stay (ICULOS), duration of mechanical ventilation (MVD), duration of weaning (WD), and Charlson comorbidities score (CCS) were also recorded. Relationships between fatigue and other parameters were analyzed using the Spearman correlations (rho). RESULTS Subjects were admitted to the ICU for a mean duration of 7.7 days (SD, 3.7 days) and required mechanical ventilation for a mean duration of 4.6 days (SD, 2.5 days). The mean FRI was 0.88 (SD, 0.13), indicating a 12% fall in P(I(max)), and was negatively correlated with MVD (r = -0.65; p = 0.007). No correlations were found between the FRI and FEV1, FVC, ICULOS, WD, or CCS. CONCLUSIONS Patients who had received mechanical ventilation for > 48 h have reduced inspiratory muscle endurance that worsens with the duration of mechanical ventilation and is present following successful weaning. These data suggest that patients needing prolonged mechanical ventilation are at risk of respiratory muscle fatigue and may benefit from respiratory muscle training.

But Watch out for the Weather: Factors Affecting Adherence to Progressive Resistance Exercise for Persons with COPD

PURPOSE: Exercise is an important treatment modality for persons with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but factors influencing adherence have been examined infrequently. The purpose of this investigation was to explore adherence factors to a progressive resistance exercise program for persons with COPD. METHODS: Persons with COPD enrolled in a 12-week trial of progressive resistance exercise were invited to participate in 2 semistructured qualitative interviews exploring program adherence. Interviews were audio-taped, transcribed, and then coded independently by 2 researchers. Themes relating to short-term and long-term adherence were then developed and described. RESULTS: Twenty-two participants were interviewed at the conclusion of the intervention (12 weeks), and 19 completed a second interview at 24 weeks. Short-term exercise adherence was facilitated by expected outcomes, self-motivation, supervision, and group support, whereas health and weather factors were the major barriers to adherence. The barriers to exercise remained unchanged at 24 weeks despite a large decline in exercise adherence. Removal of environmental support at 12 weeks may have contributed to poor long-term exercise maintenance, with participants identifying group support and regular monitoring by a therapist as the most important strategies for maintaining exercise. CONCLUSIONS: The provision of external support in training program design appears important for persons with COPD. Longer-term adherence declined when group support and regular monitoring by a therapist was removed, despite the major perceived exercise barriers remaining unchanged. Therefore, further investigation is required to determine effective strategies for maximizing longer-term exercise adherence in this population.

A predominantly home-based progressive resistance exercise program increases knee extensor strength in the short-term in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a randomised controlled trial.

QUESTIONS Does a 12-week, predominantly home-based program of progressive resistance exercises reduce impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? Are any gains maintained 12 weeks after the cessation of the program? DESIGN Randomised controlled trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding, and intention-to-treat analysis. PARTICIPANTS 54 people with moderately severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease not undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation. INTERVENTION The experimental group performed six progressive resistance exercises three times per week (once a week hospital-based, twice a week home-based) for 12 weeks. Exercise intensity was three sets of 8 to 12 repetition maximum progressed against elasticised bands of increasing resistance. The control group received no intervention. OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomes were strength (knee extensor, hip abductor, shoulder horizontal flexor, shoulder flexor) measured using hand-held dynamometry, and walking capacity measured by the 6-minute Walk Test performed before and after intervention and again at 12 weeks after the cessation of intervention. RESULTS The experimental group increased their knee extensor strength by 4.9 kg (95% CI 1.1 to 8.7) more than the control group by Week 12. However, this gain was not maintained at Week 24. No difference between the groups was found for any of the other primary outcomes. CONCLUSIONS A predominantly home-based progressive resistance exercise program led to modest improvements in knee extensor strength in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, 44% of the experimental group were unable to complete the exercise program, highlighting the need to understand factors influencing adherence to exercise in this population.

Standing with assistance of a tilt table in intensive care : A survey of Australian physiotherapy practice.

Although tilt tables are used by physiotherapists to reintroduce patients to the vertical position, no quantitative evidence is available regarding their use within intensive care units (ICUs) of Australian hospitals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of tilt tables in physiotherapy management of patients in ICUs across Australia. Ninety-nine physiotherapists working in Australian public ICUs were contacted via mail and asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their use of tilt tables in practice. Reasons for the use of the tilt table, contraindications, commonly used adjuncts, monitoring, and outcome measures were also investigated. Eighty-six questionnaires were returned (87% response). The tilt table was used by 58 physiotherapists (67.4%). The most common reasons for inclusion of tilt table treatment were to: facilitate weight bearing (94.8% of those who tilt); prevent muscle contractures (86%); improve lower limb strength (81%); and increase arousal (70%). The tilt table was most frequently applied to patients with neurological conditions (63.8%) and during long-term ICU stay (43.1%). Techniques often combined with tilt table treatment included upper limb exercises (93.1%) and breathing exercises (86.2%). Standing with assistance of the tilt table is used by the majority of physiotherapists working in Australian ICUs. A moderate level of agreement is demonstrated by physiotherapists regarding indications to commence tilt table treatment and adjunct modalities combined with standing with assistance of the tilt table.

A Saturday physiotherapy service may decrease length of stay in patients undergoing rehabilitation in hospital : a randomised controlled trial.

QUESTION Is additional Saturday physiotherapy intervention beneficial for inpatients undergoing rehabilitation? DESIGN Randomised controlled trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding, and intention-to-treat analysis. PARTICIPANTS Two hundred and sixty-two inpatients undergoing rehabilitation in an Australian metropolitan hospital. INTERVENTION The experimental group received physiotherapy intervention from Monday to Saturday and the control group from Monday to Friday. OUTCOME MEASURES Primary outcomes were hospital and physiotherapy length of stay. Secondary measures were collected to reflect patient outcomes (health state, independence, activity, flexibility and strength) and burden of care (discharge destination, adverse events, and follow-up physiotherapy intervention). RESULTS There was a 3.2 day reduction for the experimental group (95% CI -0.5 to 6.9) in hospital length of stay and a 2.5 day reduction (95% CI -0.9 to 5.9) in physiotherapy length of stay. There was no significant between-group difference in change from admission to discharge for most of the secondary patient outcomes (health state, independence, activity, flexibility). The risk of the experimental group being categorised as strong relative to the control group was 1.2 (95% CI 0.99 to 1.50). The risk of not being discharged home, of having an adverse event, or requiring follow-up physiotherapy intervention was no greater for the experimental group than the control group. CONCLUSION The provision of additional Saturday physiotherapy intervention resulted in a trend to shorter hospital and physiotherapy length of stay without affecting patient outcome unfavourably or increasing burden of care, suggesting that a larger multicentre trial is warranted.

Effect of Manual Hyperinflation on Hemodynamics, Gas Exchange, and Respiratory Mechanics in Ventilated Patients

The authors investigated the effect of manual hyperinflation (MHI) with set parameters applied to patients on mechanical ventilation on hemodynamics, respiratory mechanics, and gas exchange. Sixteen critically ill patients post-septic shock, with acute lung injury, were studied. Heart rate, arterial pressure, and mean pulmonary artery pressure were recorded every minute. Pulmonary artery occlusion pressure, cardiac output, arterial blood gases, and dynamic compliance (Cdyn) were recorded pre- and post-MHI. From this, systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI), cardiac index, oxygen delivery, and partial pressure of oxygen: fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO2:FiO2) ratio were calculated. There were significant increases in SVRI ( P < 0.05) post-MHI and diastolic arterial pressure ( P < 0.01) during MHI. Cdyn increased post-MHI ( P < 0.01) and was sustained at 20 minutes post-MHI ( P < 0.01). Subjects with an intrapulmonary cause of lung disease had a significant decrease ( P = 0.02) in PaO2:FiO2, and those with extrapulmonary causes of lung disease had a significant increase ( P < 0.001) in PaO2:FiO2 post-MHI. In critically ill patients, MHI resulted in an improvement in lung mechanics and an improvement in gas exchange in patients with lung disease due to extrapulmonary events and did not result in impairment of the cardiovascular system.

Physiotherapy intervention in intensive care is safe: an observational study

Question : How often do adverse events (including adverse physiological changes) occur during physiotherapy intervention in intensive care? Design : A multi-centre prospective observational study. Participants : Five tertiary level university-affiliated intensive care units. Outcome measures : All physiotherapy intervention in five intensive care units over a three month period. When certain specified changes occurred during physiotherapy intervention, details were noted including diagnosis of patient, intervention, vital signs, radiological changes, co-morbidities, chemical pathology, and fluid balance. Results : 12 281 physiotherapy interventions were completed with 27 interventions resulting in adverse physiological changes (0.2%). This incidence was significantly lower than a previous study of adverse physiological changes (663 events in 247 patients over a 24-hour period); the incidence during physiotherapy intervention was lower than during general intensive care. Common factors in the patients who had an adverse physiological change were a deterioration in cardiovascular status (ie, decrease in blood pressure or arrhythmia) in patients on medium to high doses of inotropes/vasopressors, unstable baseline hemodynamic values, previous cardiac co-morbidities and intervention consisting of positive pressure or right side lying. Conclusion : The incidence of adverse events during physiotherapy intervention in these five tertiary hospitals was low, demonstrating that physiotherapy intervention in intensive care is safe.

Fatigue, muscle strength and vitamin D status in women with systemic lupus erythematosus compared with healthy controls

Recent studies have demonstrated an inverse relationship between vitamin D levels and fatigue in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aims of this study were to evaluate proximal muscle strength, fatigue and vitamin D levels in women with SLE compared with healthy controls and to investigate relationships between these factors in a cohort of women with SLE. Forty-five women (24 SLE, 21 healthy controls) participated. Primary outcome measures were the fatigue severity scale (FSS), isometric muscle strength of dominant limbs using hand held dynamometry, two functional tests – the 30-second chair stand test and the 1-kg arm lift test, with vitamin D status measured using 25(OH)D. Overall 25(OH)D levels were 68.4 (22.4) nmol/L with no difference between SLE and control groups. There was a statistically and clinically significant difference in fatigue, 1-kg arm lift, 30-second sit to stand, knee extension, hip flexion, hip abduction, shoulder flexion and grip strength in the SLE group compared with the control group (p < 0.05). In the SLE group FSS was moderately correlated with both functional measures (1-kg arm lift r = −0.42, 30-second chair stand r = −0.44, p < 0.05). However, no statistically significant correlation between dynamometry measures and fatigue was evident. There was no association between fatigue and 25(OH)D level (r = −0.12). In summary, women with SLE were weaker and demonstrated reduced physical function and higher fatigue levels than healthy controls. Fatigue was related to physical function but not vitamin D status or maximal isometric strength in vitamin D replete individuals with SLE.

Therapeutic drug monitoring of beta-lactam antibiotics in burns patients-A one-year prospective study

Background Beta-lactams are first-line antibiotics for the management of superficial infections due to burn injury. There is sparse data available on therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) in patients with burns in a ward setting. This study was conducted to evaluate the utility of a beta-lactam TDM program in a cohort of burn injury patients in a ward environment. Methods Steady-state blood samples were collected immediately before a scheduled dose. The therapeutic concentration targets assessed were (1) free antibiotic concentrations exceeding the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC; fT > MIC) and (2) free concentrations ≥4× MIC of the known or suspected pathogen (fT > 4× MIC). The duration of therapy was also assessed. Results A total of 50 patients were included for TDM over a 12-month period. The mean (±SD) age was 49 ± 16 years. The mean percent total body surface area burn was 17 ± 13%. The mean serum creatinine concentration was 86 ± 20 &mgr;mole/L. Sixty percent of the patients did not achieve fT > MIC, and only 18% achieved the higher target of fT > 4× MIC. Although all the patients achieved a positive clinical outcome, the duration of antibiotic treatment was shorter in patients who achieved fT > MIC compared with those who did not (4.2 ± 1.1 versus 5.3 ± 2.3 days; P = 0.03). Conclusions We found TDM to be a reliable intervention for burn injury patients in a ward environment. This study supports pharmacokinetic data that burns patients may be at risk of subtherapeutic dosing, which may prolong the duration of antibiotic therapy.