Early Mobilization in PICU: Are We on Time?

• Published in: Current treatment options in pediatrics 2019-12, Vol.5 (4), p.397-405
• Main Authors: Johnston, Cíntia, Krebs, Vera L. J., de Carvalho, Werther Brunow, Carneiro-Sampaio, Magda
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age groups; Analgesics; Anesthesia; Children & youth; Critical Care Medicine; Exercise; Family Medicine; General Practice; Hospitalization; Hospitals; Intensive; Maternal and Child Health; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Patients; Pediatrics; Pediatrics in South America (L Landry and WB de Carvalho; Section Editors; Teenagers; Topical Collection on Pediatrics in South America; Ventilators
• ISSN: 2198-6088; 2198-6088
• DOI: 10.1007/s40746-019-00172-5

Purpose of review Elements based on specific literature to assist in the elaboration of an early mobilization (EM) protocol for severely ill children in a pediatric intensive care unit or in an inpatient care unit. Recent findings Recent findings have shown that immobility during critical periods of the disease may cause physical, neuromusculoskeletal, metabolic, cognitive, and psychological sequelae that may extend throughout life. Prolonged bed rest is associated with thromboembolic events, decreased protein synthesis and muscle mass, and increased risk of death. Children surviving from serious illnesses have an increased risk of delay in overall recovery, resulting in poor quality of life and increased costs of post-discharge health services in the short, medium, and long term. Summary Further research is needed to delineate protocols for specific populations in PICU as well as to find associations between interventions in PICU with EM, and with outcome times spent in PICU and hospital, need for care after hospital discharge, death and quality of life, among others.