title: Whole-body vibration therapy in intensive care patients: A feasibility and safety study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Admission to the intensive care unit is associated with sustained loss of muscle mass, reduced quality of life and increased mortality. Early rehabilitation measures may counteract this process. New approaches to rehabilitation while the patient remains in bed are whole-body vibration alone and whole-body vibration with a dumbbell. The aims of this study are to determine the safety of whole-body vibration for patients admitted to the intensive care unit, and to compare the effects of these techniques in intensive care unit patients and healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twelve intensive care unit patients and 12 healthy subjects using whole-body vibration for the first time were examined while lying in bed. First both groups performed whole body vibration over 3 min. In a second step whole body vibration with dumbbell was performed. In order to determine the safety of the training intensity, heart rate, oxygen saturation and blood pressure were measured. The study was approved by the Marburg ethics committee.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were minor reversible and transient increases in diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.005) and heart rate (p = 0.001) in the control group with whole-body vibration with a dumbbell. In intensive care patients receiving whole-body vibration alone, there were increases in diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.011) and heart rate (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrates the feasibility of using whole-body vibration and whole-body vibration with a dumbbell for intensive care unit in-bed patients. No clinically significant safety problems were found. Whole-body vibration and whole-body vibration with a dumbbell might therefore be alternative methods for use in early in-bed rehabilitation, not only for hospitalized patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary Diseases, Philipps University of Marburg, Baldingerstr., DE-35033 Marburg/Lahn, Germany. Tobias.boeselt@staff.uni-marburg.de.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Boeselt
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nell
authors.forename: Katahrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kehr
authors.forename: Angélique
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dresel
authors.forename: Timm
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Greulich
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tackenberg
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kenn
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boeder
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Klapdor
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kirschbaum
authors.forename: Claus
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vogelmeier
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Alter
authors.forename: Andreas Rembert
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Koczulla
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D004576:Electromyography; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011788:Quality of Life; D055502:Secondary Prevention / Q000379:methods; D014732:Vibration / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen