Chest
Volume 160, Issue 6, December 2021, Pages 2146-2148
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Critical Care: Research Letters
Early Rehabilitation Feasibility in a COVID-19 ICU

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2021.05.059Get rights and content

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Methods

In this retrospective chart review, patients admitted to the ICU with SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction of nasal pharyngeal swabs from March 1 to July 31, 2020 were identified. Patients for whom a physical or occupational therapy consult was ordered, an impairment in baseline mobility was observed, and at least one treatment session was provided were included. Rehabilitation teams included one physical therapist and one occupational therapist and

Results

Two hundred ninety patients were admitted to the COVID-19 ICU during the study period. One hundred eighty-five received a consult for rehabilitation services, and 116 participated in at least one therapy session. The most common reasons patients received consults but did not participate were hemodynamic instability, evaluation without impairment of baseline mobility, and ICU discharge within 24 hours of rehabilitation order. Patient characteristics are summarized in Table 1. Most (85%) were

Discussion

This report demonstrates the feasibility of conducting physical and occupational therapy in COVID-19-specific ICUs. Providing therapy services appeared to be safe for patients and members of the therapy team, because adverse events were rare, and no therapist was diagnosed with COVID-19. Patients tolerated therapy in spite of receiving advanced respiratory support. The discharge location of the patients was notably different from that of other COVID-19 cohorts, with more patients discharged to

Acknowledgments

Author Contributions: M. R. S., P. L.-O., S. D. P., K. S. W., A. S. P., J. P. K., and B. K. P. collected and interpreted data, wrote manuscript. C. M. W. collected and interpreted data, conducted physical therapy, assisted writing manuscript. P. R. H. conducted physical therapy, assisted writing manuscript.

Role of sponsors: The sponsor had no role in the design of the study, the collection and analysis of the data, or the preparation of the manuscript.

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FINANCIAL/NONFINANCIAL DISCLOSURES: None declared.

FUNDING/SUPPORT: NIH/NHLBI K23 HL148387 (B. K. P.); NIH/NHLBI T32 HL007605 (M. R. S. and S. D. P.)

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