The effect of in-bed leg cycling exercises on muscle strength in patients with intensive care unit-acquired weakness: a single-center retrospective study

Abstract

Objective: To examine the effect of in-bed leg cycling exercise on patients with intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW). Design: Single-center retrospective study. Subjects/Patients: Patients admitted to the ICU between January 2019 and March 2023 were enrolled in the ergometer group, and those admitted to the ICU between August 2017 and December 2018 were enrolled in the control group. Methods: The ergometer group performed in-bed leg cycling exercises 5 times per week for 20 min from the day of ICU-AW diagnosis. Furthermore, the ergometer group received 1 early mobilization session per day according to the early mobilization protocol, whereas the control group received 1 or 2 sessions per day. The number of patients with recovery from ICU-AW at ICU discharge and improvement in physical functions were compared. Results: Significantly more patients in the ergometer group recovered from ICU-AW than in the control group (87.0% vs 60.6%, p = 0.039). Regarding physical function, the ergometer group showed significantly higher improvement efficiency in Medical Research Council sum score (1.0 [0.7–2.1] vs 0.1 [0.0–0.2], p < 0.001). Conclusion: In-bed leg cycling exercise, in addition to the early mobilization protocol, reduced the number of patients with ICU-AW at ICU discharge.