Muscle strength assessment of critically ill patients is associated with functional ability and quality of life at hospital discharge

Abstract

Patients with critical illness after hospital discharge often exhibit poor functional ability and quality of life as a consequence of acquired muscle weakness. The Medical Research Council (MRC) strength score and hand-grip dynamometry (HGD) are reliable and valid methods to detect clinically significant muscle weakness. The objective of this study is to examine the correlation of these instruments to functional ability and quality-of-life questionnaires at hospital discharge.