Abstract:
Background: Some evidence suggests that higher doses of mobilization could have
benefits on functional status. However, the impact of increasing the availability of Physical
Therapist in the intensive care unit to provide critical care for these conditions is unclear.
Objective: to determine the effect of physical therapy 24-hour/7days on the length of stay,
index of respiratory system infection, days of mechanical ventilation, mortality and quality
of life, in adult patients admitted to an intensive care unit.
Methods and design: The databases EMBASE, MEDLINE, PUBMED, and reference lists
of previous reviews were searched for clinical trials and observational studies, without
restriction on language or publication date. Four reviewers independently screened articles
for eligibility, and included studies were appraised using the ROBINS-I risk of bias tool for
non-randomised studies.
Results: 4509 records were screened. Two prospective cohorts were included in the review. Both studies reported significant improvements in length of intensive care unit stay and days
of mechanical ventilation, while the index of respiratory system infection and mortality had
unclear improvement. No studies reported quality of life in patients.
Conclusion: There was insufficient robust data to conclude that increasing availability of
physical therapy beyond business hours could shorten the length of ICU stay and days
of mechanical ventilation. Further studies are required to increase certainty about the
effectiveness of Physical Therapist intervention 24-hours/7 days in intensive care unit.
