Contributing factors for acquired muscle weakness in intensive care unit

Abstract

Introduction: One of the complications of intensive care unit (ICU) admission is neuromuscular dysfunction because of critical illness, which may lead to disuse atrophy. Many of critically ill patients have severe muscle weakness, which has been termed ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW). ICU-AW has many consequences on patients’ outcome. The aim of the study was to determine contributing factors for occurrence of acquired muscle weakness in intensive care units.

Setting: The study was conducted in four general ICUs in two selected Hospitals in Makkah in KSA.

Subjects: Hundred patients were included in the study.

Materials and Method: Tool one: factors contributing to ICU-AW assessment tool. Tool two: indicators of ICU-AW in critically ill patients.

Results: Forty-two patients were diagnosed ICU-AW. Differences between the ICU-AW group and the no ICU-AW group in: sex, diagnosis on admission and APACHE II were not statistically significant. Age in the ICU-AW group was higher than in no ICU-AW group [59±14 vs. 53±11 years, p = .0183] which was significant statistical difference.

Conclusion: The contributing factors for ICU-AW are immobility, patients’ age, level of consciousness, parenteral nutrition, and glucocorticoid & insulin therapy.