Early rehabilitation for individuals with critical illnesses

Verified by Dr. Nitin Menon, Lead Consultant Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai

Many patients with life-threatening infections, devastating injuries, complex surgeries, degenerative diseases require admission to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to manage their complex medical needs. However, it is seen that several patients who require prolonged ICU care tend to develop weakness of their muscles, pressure ulcers, limb contractures and pain, repeated infections and failure to wean off supporting machines. In many cases, this can be reversed by acquiring a certain amount of mobility and endurance to enable them to overcome the disabling effects of their illness and provide a faster transition from ICU to their homes.

Rehabilitation program in an ICU

Rehabilitation interventions in the ICU include:

• Medical management that helps optimize supportive therapies, reduce pain and muscle tightness and prevent formation of contractures of pressure ulcers.
• A basic mobility program is also instituted which consists of spending some time out of the bed in a sitting position and doing some basic limb and breathing exercises.
• In addition to this, if some form of standing and lower limb mobility training is provided in such patients, it is found that this can hasten recovery, promote a sense of well-being and prevent untoward effects like contractures and development of venous thrombosis (blood clots) in the legs.

However, there are some challenges in carrying this out in the ICU in terms of space constraints, manpower limitations, higher chances of a fall if the patient is not well-supported and supportive devices like important lines/tubes getting disconnected.

Apollo Hospital, Navi Mumbai has acquired a state of the art standing and lower limb robotic mobility device which enables the safe transition of a patient lying in bed into an upright position. It also enables movements of the legs to prevent complications due to prolonged immobilization.

Advantages of robotic mobilization device

• It is a convenient device to enable early and extensive mobility training in the ICU itself so that critically ill patients can spend more quality time out of their hospital beds, regain faster control over their movements, be able to breathe better and overcome their medical illness efficiently.
• It is extremely beneficial in those patients who for some reason need to spend many days to weeks in the ICU to overcome their primary life support like the ventilator or tracheostomy tube. Also, patients with critical illness, neuromyopathy or any condition which prevents their transfer from the ICU to a ward bed.
• The mobility and standing training provided by this device can enable faster transition to supported and consequently assisted independent walking and thus discharge to home can be expedited.
• Coupled with our excellent in-patient care facilities and rehabilitation services, our patients can experience less loss of mobility and more independence when they are ready to be discharged home.

Connect with our rehab experts.

Call 022 6280 6280 for an appointment.