Rehabilitation After Critical Illness Clinical Trial
Official title:
Outpatient Based Physical Rehabilitation for Survivors of Prolonged Critical Illness - a Randomised Controlled Trial
Admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) due to illness has been shown to have a dramatic
effect on the human body and mind. Following discharge from an ICU, patients suffer from
varying degrees of weakness and muscle wasting. It can take many months before their
strength returns to something like before they were ill. This weakness can have important
consequences on an individual, affecting their ability to perform routine tasks (e.g.
housework, shopping), and whether they can return to work or not. Not surprisingly, this
inability to perform activities they used to do prior to their illness can have knock on
effects on their mental well being and confidence.
What the investigators hope to see through this study is whether or not patients can recover
their ability to perform exercise more quickly following an ICU admission if they undergo an
exercise-based rehabilitation programme. The investigators also hope to see whether taking
part in a rehabilitation programme has any affect on physical and mental well being.
The investigators hope to use a simple exercise test on a bicycle to assess subjects ability
to exercise shortly after leaving hospital. We will then repeat the test after a period of
physiotherapy lead rehabilitation to see if they have received any benefit from the
programme. The investigators hope to show that by undergoing an exercise-based
rehabilitation programme subjects will recover their ability to exercise more quickly than
those who do not.
By means of questionnaires the investigators hope to see what effect the rehabilitation
programme has had on participants physical and mental well being.
n/a
Allocation: Randomized, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Single Blind (Outcomes Assessor), Primary Purpose: Treatment