Physical fitness and physical function in survivors of sepsis after hospital discharge

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Severe sepsis may be accompanied by long-term sequelae, and physical aspects related to physical fitness and physical function of sepsis survivors after discharge are still poorly explored. Objective: This is an integrative review aimed at analyzing if sepsis survivors present impairment of the physical fitness components and/or physical conditioning and physical function after hospital discharge. Methods: The search was performed in six electronic databases: LILACS, PubMed, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Web of Science and Scopus. Controlled descriptors (Sepsis, Septic Shock, Physical Fitness and Activities of Daily Living) and uncontrolled descriptors or keywords (Severe Sepsis, Physical Function, and Physical Status) were used. Results: The search resulted in a total of 434 articles, of which seven were eligible for analysis. Of these, none applied a specific physical test to assess the components of physical fitness. Regarding physical function, it was verified that four studies applied specific tests to evaluate the activities of daily living. However, it was observed in most of the studies that the physical aspects were only subjectively assessed through health-related quality of life questionnaires. Overall, all studies analyzed showed that the health-related quality of life of sepsis survivors may be impaired after long periods of hospital discharge. Conclusion: Most sepsis survivors presented impairments related to physical fitness and physical function after hospital discharge, as they showed impairments in their functional autonomy, resulting in loss of independence and autonomy in performing the activities of daily living.