Rehabilitation and Intensive Care Unit

Critically ill patients frequently experience one or more life-threatening organ failures such as cardiovascular, pulmonary, renal, hepatic failure, etc. Intensive care that focuses on the recovery of these important organs can lead to disregard for relatively less important problems. One of the problems that has been overlooked is the neuromuscular disorder in critically ill patients, and the prevalence of neuromuscular abnormalities and weakness is likely larger than generally considered [1]. Intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired neuromuscular abnormality or ICU-acquired weakness (ICUAW) is related to several factors including long duration of immobility, poor nutritional support, mechanical ventilation, and sepsis.