Electrophysiological abnormalities can differentiate pre-hospital discharge functional status in critically ill patients with normal strength

Excerpt

ICU-acquired weakness (ICUAW) defines a heterogeneous group of critically ill patients with hospital-acquired impairment in physical function. ICUAW is defined as a Medical Research Council (MRC) score below 48, or an average muscle strength of less than four out of five in six specified bilateral muscle groups. By definition, critical care patients with MRC scores of at least 48 are considered to not have ICUAW. However, many of these patients may have generalized impairment in muscle strength and function. In critical care patients that do not develop formal criteria for ICUAW, abnormalities on electrophysiological testing may help identify physical impairments and determine the etiology of this weakness. We hypothesized that a subset of critically ill patients without ICUAW have abnormal nerve conduction study (NCS) amplitudes that are associated with reduced physical function. …