title: Intensive care unit-acquired weakness: framing the topic.
abstract: One of the many potential sequelae of intensive care is prolonged weakness, which can be associated with increased morbidity during the intensive care unit stay and long-term functional disability. Despite increased awareness of this complication in recent years, diagnosing intensive care unit-acquired weakness remains difficult and there are no specific therapies. Management, therefore, relies on limiting its short- and long-term effects. One method by which this may be achieved is to reduce sedative use and promote early mobilization and exercise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium. jlvincen@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: Jean-Louis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Norrenberg
mesh_terms: D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000145:classification; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000517:prevention & control; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors