title: Early mobilisation in intensive care units in Australia and Scotland: a prospective, observational cohort study examining mobilisation practises and barriers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mobilisation of patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) is an area of growing research. Currently, there is little data on baseline mobilisation practises and the barriers to them for patients of all admission diagnoses.
  
  
  METHODS
  The objectives of the study were to (1) quantify and benchmark baseline levels of mobilisation in Australian and Scottish ICUs, (2) compare mobilisation practises between Australian and Scottish ICUs and (3) identify barriers to mobilisation in Australian and Scottish ICUs. We conducted a prospective, observational, cohort study with a 4-week inception period. Patients were censored for follow-up upon ICU discharge or after 28 days, whichever occurred first. Patients were included if they were >18 years of age, admitted to an ICU and received mechanical ventilation in the ICU.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ten tertiary ICUs in Australia and nine in Scotland participated in the study. The Australian cohort had a large proportion of patients admitted for cardiothoracic surgery (43.3%), whereas the Scottish cohort had none. Therefore, comparison analysis was done after exclusion of patients admitted for cardiothoracic surgery. In total, 60.2% of the 347 patients across 10 Australian ICUs and 40.1% of the 167 patients across 9 Scottish ICUs mobilised during their ICU stay (p < 0.001). Patients in the Australian cohort were more likely to mobilise than patients in the Scottish cohort (hazard ratio 1.83, 95% confidence interval 1.38-2.42). However, the percentage of episodes of mobilisation where patients were receiving mechanical ventilation was higher in the Scottish cohort (41.1% vs 16.3%, p < 0.001). Sedation was the most commonly reported barrier to mobilisation in both the Australian and Scottish cohorts. Physiological instability and the presence of an endotracheal tube were also frequently reported barriers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first study to benchmark baseline practise of early mobilisation internationally, and it demonstrates variation in early mobilisation practises between Australia and Scotland.
authors.affiliation: School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health Science, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, 6845, Australia. m.harrold@curtin.edu.au.|Intensive Care Unit and Physiotherapy Department, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia. m.harrold@curtin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Meg E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Harrold
authors.affiliation: School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. lisa.salisbury@ed.au.uk.
authors.forename: Lisa G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Salisbury
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit and Physiotherapy Department, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia. steve.webb@uwa.edu.au.|Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia. steve.webb@uwa.edu.au.
authors.forename: Steve A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Webb
authors.affiliation: School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science, Faculty of Health Science, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, 6845, Australia. g.allison@curtin.edu.au.|Intensive Care Unit and Physiotherapy Department, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, Australia. g.allison@curtin.edu.au.
authors.forename: Garry T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Allison
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D019985:Benchmarking; D004434:Early Ambulation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012606:Scotland; D013997:Time Factors