International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Open Access

Abstract

The Effect of Passive Cycle Ergometry Exercise On Dia-Phragmatic Motion of Invasive Mechanically Ventilated Critically Ill Patients In Intensive Care Unit: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Tanara Bianchi, Laura Jurema dos Santos, Fernando de Aguiar Lemos, Amanda Sachetti, Ana Maria Dall’ Acqua, Wagner da Silva Naue, Luiz Alberto Forgiarini Junior, Alexandre Simões Dias and Silvia Regina Rios Vieira

Purpose: To assess the effect of cycle ergometry exercise in diaphragmatic motion of invasive mechanically ventilated critically ill patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU).
Methods: A randomized clinical trial was completed in the ICU of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Brazil. The patients were randomly selected to perform either conventional physical therapy or intervention (conventional physical therapy+cycle ergometry). Exercise on a bedside cycle ergometer was performed once a day, in passive mode for 20 min, from intubation to extubation, or until seven days.
Results: Diaphragmatic motion was measured by ultrasonography on intubation and extubation. Fourteen patients were selected to the conventional group (56.1 ± 23.0 yrs) and eighteen patients were selected to the intervention group (52.3 ± 22.7 yrs). Results demonstrated preservation of diaphragmatic motion on both conventional (0.61 ± 0.07 pre vs. 0.64 ± 0.12 post) and intervention (0.54 ± 0.06 pre vs. 0.68 ± 0.09 post) groups. Also, there was a positive correlation between variation of diaphragmatic motion and length of time receiving exercise protocol (r=0.031; p=0.915), and a negative correlation between variation of diaphragmatic motion and length of time receiving mechanical ventilation support (r=0.199; p=0.495) in the intervention group.
Conclusion: The diaphragmatic motion was persevered in both groups.