Intensive Care Unit-Acquired Weakness: A nationwide survey on diagnostics, monitoring and treatment strategies on German intensive care units

Abstract

Background: Intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) is one of the most frequent causes of neuromuscular dysfunction in intensive care medicine. To date no evidence-based recommendations exist for the diagnostics, monitoring or further intensive care treatment. Objective: To evaluate the current clinical practice of diagnostics, monitoring and treatment strategies of ICU-AW on intensive care units in Germany. Material and methods: We conducted an online survey with a self-designed questionnaire and invited 448 members of the Scientific Working Group for Intensive Care Medicine (WAKI) and the Scientific Working Group for Neuroanesthesia (WAKNA) to participate. Results: A total of 68/448 (15.2%) questionnaires were analyzed. Of the participants 13.4% (9/67) stated that a structured diagnostic approach for the detection of ICU-AW is applied in their units. The clinical examination was the preferred method for screening (60/68; 88.2%) and follow-up (57/65; 87.7%). Scores, such as the Medical Research Council sum score (MRC-SS) seem to be less important for the screening (7/68; 10.3%) and follow-up assessment (7/65; 10.8%). Mobilization with physiotherapy (45/68; 66.2%) is the most common strategy applied to treat ICU-AW. A lack of physiotherapists (64/68; 94.1%) and intensive care nurses (57/68; 83.8%) are the main deficits identified in the care of patients with ICU-AW. The majority of the study participants (62/68; 91.2%) would welcome evidence-based guidelines for diagnostics, monitoring and treatment approaches in ICU-AW. Discussion: To date comprehensive recommendations for diagnostics, monitoring, prevention and treatment of ICU-AW are still lacking in German intensive care units. The introduction of new diagnostic approaches could help to detect ICU-AW and therefore to initiate earlier preventive and treatment approaches.