Short summary

Critical illness and subsequent admittance to the Intensive Care Unit is associated with a wide array of physical and mental sequelae. Physical disability is recognized as a key component in the Post Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS). This study evaluates the degree of muscle mass loss in the critically ill patient on mechanical ventilation. The two groups will be randomized to either no sedation or sedation with daily wake-up call. Muscle mass will be measured on day 1, 5 and 10.

Rationale

Since the dawn of ventilator therapy, it has been standard care to sedate the patients continuously. The first ventilators were rather primitive and highly uncomfortable for the patients, making the sedation practice necessary. Though ventilators are now advanced and allow for better patient-ventilator interaction, the routine of continuous sedation is still widespread.  

This study seeks to evaluate any effects of one of two regimes for the mechanically ventilated patient at the Intensive Care Unit at Odense University Hospital. The patients will be randomized into two groups. One group will receive the traditional sedative care for patients on Mechanical Ventilation while the other group will remain awake.

It is the hypothesis that the non-sedated population will have a higher degree of physical activity during their stay at the Intensive Care Unit due to a combination of a higher degree of spontaneous muscle activity and a higher degree of participation in the daily Physical Therapy sessions.

Muscle mass will be evaluated using Ultrasound imaging. Two methods will be applied. Quadriceps Muscle Layer Thickness and Quadriceps Cross Sectional Area.

Muscle mass will be measured on days 1, 5 and 10. 

Description of the cohort

Patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit on mechanical ventilation for at least 24 hours

Data and biological material

Ultrasound on days 1-5-10.

Clinical data ie SOFA score and Apache 2 

Collaborating researchers and departments

Department of anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Odense University Hospital

• Professor Palle Toft
• Consultant Thomas Strøm, PhD
• Consultant Mette Pedersen
• Resident Rikke Johnsen