Early mobilisation in critically ill COVID-19 patients: a subanalysis of the ESICM-initiated UNITE-COVID observational study

Faculty of Medicine

Assiut University

Early mobilisation in critically ill COVID-19 patients: a subanalysis of the ESICM-initiated UNITE-COVID observational study

Research Authors
Philipp Kloss, Maximilian Lindholz, Annette Milnik, Elie Azoulay, Maurizio Cecconi, Giuseppe Citerio, Thomas De Corte, Frantisek Duska, Laura Galarza, Massimiliano Greco, Armand R. J. Girbes, Jozef Kesecioglu, Johannes Mellinghoff, Marlies Ostermann, Mari
Research Date
Research Department
Department of Chest Diseases
Research Journal
Annals of Intensive Care
Research Member
Aliae Abd Rabou Mohamed Hussein
Research Publisher
Springer
Research Vol
13
Research Website
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13613-023-01201-1
Research Abstract

Background

Early mobilisation (EM) is an intervention that may improve the outcome of critically ill patients. There is limited data on EM in COVID-19 patients and its use during the first pandemic wave.

Methods

This is a pre-planned subanalysis of the ESICM UNITE-COVID, an international multicenter observational study involving critically ill COVID-19 patients in the ICU between February 15th and May 15th, 2020. We analysed variables associated with the initiation of EM (within 72 h of ICU admission) and explored the impact of EM on mortality, ICU and hospital length of stay, as well as discharge location. Statistical analyses were done using (generalised) linear mixed-effect models and ANOVAs.

Results

Mobilisation data from 4190 patients from 280 ICUs in 45 countries were analysed. 1114 (26.6%) of these patients received mobilisation within 72 h after ICU admission; 3076 (73.4%) did not. In our analysis of