The Study of Activity in Older ICU Patients: An Integrative Review
Authors: Casey Colleen M. 
Published: June 2013

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Instructions

1.3
contact hours will be awarded by Villanova University College of Nursing upon successful completion of this activity. A contact hour is a unit of measurement that denotes 60 minutes of an organized learning activity. This is a learner-based activity. Villanova University College of Nursing does not require submission of your answers to the quiz. A contact hour certificate will be awarded once you register, pay the registration fee, and complete the evaluation form online at
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. To obtain contact hours you must:

1.
Read the article, “Study of Activity in Older Adult ICU Patients: An Integrative Review” found on pages 12–25, carefully noting any tables and other illustrative materials that are included to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the content. Be sure to keep track of the amount of time (number of minutes) you spend reading the article and completing the quiz.

2.
Read and answer each question on the quiz. After completing all of the questions, compare your answers to those provided within this issue. If you have incorrect answers, return to the article for further study.

3.
Go to the Villanova website listed above to register for contact hour credit. You will be asked to provide your name; contact information; and a VISA, MasterCard, or Discover card number for payment of the $20.00 fee. Once you complete the online evaluation, a certificate will be automatically generated.

This activity is valid for continuing education credit until July 31, 2015.

Contact Hours
This activity is co-provided by Villanova University College of Nursing and SLACK Incorporated.
Villanova University College of Nursing is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

Activity Objectives

1.
Identify the factors that contribute to muscle breakdown and loss of function in older intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

2.
Discuss the types of activity that have been used in the study of early mobilization in ICU patients.

Disclosure Statement
Neither the planners nor the author have any conflicts of interest to disclose.

The purpose of this study was to review relevant literature on activity of older critically ill patients, including activity interventions conducted in this population, with a focus on activity measurement and technology. Literature published between 1996 and 2012 was reviewed using keywords
older adults
,
inactivity
,
mobility
,
progressive mobility
,
rehabilitation
,
ambulation
,
early mobilization
,
ICU
(intensive care unit), and
accelerometry
using CINAHL, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Previous relevant research is discussed and includes intervention and nonintervention studies. Although studies have demonstrated the benefits of early mobilization in the ICU setting, this research has not focused on the high-risk older adult ICU population, nor has it addressed how best to quantify these clinical activities. Current technologies, such as accelerometry, may assist in measuring patient activity and in mobilizing high-risk patients during acute, critical illness. [
Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 39
(8), 12–25.]