title: Exercise-based rehabilitation after hospital discharge for survivors of critical illness with intensive care unit-acquired weakness: A pilot feasibility trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate feasibility of exercise-based rehabilitation delivered after hospital discharge in patients with intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty adult patients, mechanically ventilated for more than 48 hours, with ICU-AW diagnosis at ICU discharge were included in a pilot feasibility randomized controlled trial receiving a 16-session exercise-based rehabilitation program. Twenty-one patients without ICU-AW participated in a nested observational cohort study. Feasibility, clinical, and patient-centered outcomes were measured at hospital discharge and at 3 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intervention feasibility was demonstrated by high adherence and patient acceptability, and absence of adverse events, but this must be offset by the low proportion of enrolment for those screened. The study was underpowered to detect effectiveness of the intervention. The use of manual muscle testing for the diagnosis of ICU-AW lacked robustness as an eligibility criterion and lacked discrimination for identifying rehabilitation requirements. Process evaluation of the trial identified methodological factors, categorized by "population," "intervention," "control group," and "outcome."
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Important data detailing the design, conduct, and implementation of a multicenter randomized controlled trial of exercise-based rehabilitation for survivors of critical illness after hospital discharge have been reported.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Clinical Trials Identifier NCT00976807.
authors.affiliation: Department of Asthma, Allergy & Respiratory Science, Division of Asthma, Allergy and Lung Biology, King's College London, London, UK; Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, National Institutes of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK; Lane Fox Clinical Respiratory Physiology Research Unit, St. Thomas' Hospital, Guy's & St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. Electronic address: bronwen.connolly@nhs.net.
authors.forename: Bronwen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Connolly
authors.affiliation: Lane Fox Clinical Respiratory Physiology Research Unit, St. Thomas' Hospital, Guy's & St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: April
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.affiliation: Department of Primary Care and Public Health Sciences, Division of Health and Social Care Research, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Abdel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Douiri
authors.affiliation: Department of Asthma, Allergy & Respiratory Science, Division of Asthma, Allergy and Lung Biology, King's College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Moxham
authors.affiliation: Department of Asthma, Allergy & Respiratory Science, Division of Asthma, Allergy and Lung Biology, King's College London, London, UK; Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and King's College London, National Institutes of Health Research Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK; Lane Fox Clinical Respiratory Physiology Research Unit, St. Thomas' Hospital, Guy's & St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hart
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010351:Patient Discharge; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017741:Survivors
keywords: Critical illness; Exercise rehabilitation; Hospital discharge; Intensive care unit–acquired weakness