ALGORITHM FOR THE APPLICATION OF PHYSICAL THERAPY FOR CRITICALLY ILL PATIENTS IN THE CONDITIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF ANESTHESIA AND INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

Abstract

Aim. Create and justify the algorithm of physical therapy application, which will be used at the early stage of treatment of critically ill patients treated in the transferred anesthesiology and intensive care unit. Materials and methods. The study was conducted during five months of 2023 in two medical and diagnostic centers in Kyiv, Ukraine, in the conditions of the department of anesthesiology and intensive care unit. 80 critically ill patients took part in the study, who were divided into main and control groups of 40 people each. Participants in the main group had physical therapy included in the treatment process, while the control group did not receive such treatment. The sample of patients was based on selection on the basis of indicators of critical condition and the need for treatment in the conditions of the anesthesiology and intensive care unit. Participation in the study varied from 1 to 3 weeks, with the first assessment at the meeting with the physical therapist and the last before discharge or transfer of the patient. Assessment included manual muscle testing and the Richmond Agitation/Sedation Scale, as well as observation for comorbidities. During the research, a developed algorithm for the use of physical therapy for critically ill patients was applied. Results. In the course of the study, a complex of physical therapy methods was used to influence the dynamics of the patients' state of consciousness, the functional strength of the muscles of the upper and lower limbs, as well as to study the frequency and severity of the development of accompanying complications (bedsores, contractures, swellings, deformations, wounds). Data collected from the main and control groups were subjected to comparative statistical analysis. The results of the analysis confirm that the use of the developed algorithm of physical therapy contributed to a significant improvement in the cognitive state of the participants, an increase in functional strength in the muscles of the limbs, and also effectively reduced the risk and severity of comorbidities. This indicates the importance of integrating physical therapy into a comprehensive approach to the treatment of critically ill patients. Conclusions. The proposed approach to the use of physical therapy for patients who are in critical condition and treated in the conditions of the department of anesthesiology and intensive care confirms its high efficiency in the early stages of treatment. Studies show that the use of physical therapy improves the functional state of muscles, improves the cognitive functions of patients, and also helps to prevent the development of concomitant complications that may occur during a stay in the conditions of the anesthesiology and intensive care units.