Conclusions There is considerable variability in the type of measures utilized to measure physical impairments and limitations in survivors of critical illness .
Purpose To identify measures used to evaluate the broad constructs of functional impairment and limitations in the critically ill across the continuum of recovery , and to evaluate , synthesis e and compare the clinimetric properties of the measures identified .
Early Mobilization in the Intensive Care Unit: A Systematic Review
Purpose : The purpose of this review is to evaluate the literature related to mobilization of the critically ill patient with an emphasis on functional outcomes and patient safety . Methods : We search ed the electronic data bases of PubMed , CINAHL , Medline ( Ovid ) , and The Cochrane Library for a period spanning 2000‐2011 . Articles used in this review included r and omized and nonr and omized clinical trials , prospect i ve and retrospective analyses , and case series in peer review ed journals . Sackett 's Levels of Evidence were used to classify the current literature to evaluate the strength of the outcomes reported . Results : Fifteen studies met inclusion criteria and were review ed . According to Sackett 's Levels of Evidence , 9 studies were level 4 evidence , one study was level 3 , 4 studies were level 2 , and one study was level one evidence . Ten studies pertained to patient safety/feasibility and 10 studies pertained to functional outcomes with 5 fitting into both categories . Conclusion : A search of the scientific literature revealed a limited number of studies that examined the mobilization of critically ill patients in the intensive care unit . However , literature that does exist supports early mobilization and physical therapy as a safe and effective intervention that can have a significant impact on functional outcomes
Conclusions There is considerable variability in the type of measures utilized to measure physical impairments and limitations in survivors of critical illness .
Purpose To identify measures used to evaluate the broad constructs of functional impairment and limitations in the critically ill across the continuum of recovery , and to evaluate , synthesis e and compare the clinimetric properties of the measures identified .