A feasibility study of Early Mobilisation PRogrammES in critical care
Research type
Research Study
Full title
EMPRESS: A feasibility study of Early Mobilisation PRogrammES in critical care.
IRAS ID
250165
Contact name
Rebecca Cusack
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UHS R&D
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 5 months, 0 days
Research summary
Patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) often suffer from muscle-wasting, fatigue and reduced physical-activity. These problems begin within 12 hours of admission and may persist for many years following their return home. Physiotherapists routinely work with patients during their intensive care stay to try to reduce these problems and to improve how the patient feels.
Southampton Hospital introduced a novel program, in which patients on a breathing machine begin their rehabilitation as soon as possible following admission. We found that this is not only feasible and safe, but patients who received this very early mobilisation require less time on the breathing machine and are discharged from ICU more quickly.
We want to know whether it is feasible to test this very early mobility program, as a randomised controlled trial. Ninety patients will be randomly assigned, to receive either standard physiotherapy or standard physiotherapy plus our very early mobilisation programme.
All patients will receive standard physiotherapy. Patients receiving the early mobilisation programme will also get an extra 2x 30 minute sessions per day from Monday to Friday. They will start using a cycle machine that is designed to work in the bed, even with sedated patients. As they wake up, they will start to pedal for themselves and then progress to extra physiotherapy both in the bed and eventually by moving around the bed. They will be accompanied at all times by a well-trained physiotherapist and the nurses. We will assess our patient’s strength, mobility and ask for some questionnaires to be completed, regarding their physical and psychological well-being.
3 months after discharge, we will ask for just one hospital visit, to check our patient's health, strength and mobility and to discuss how we may refine our study with participants and their relatives.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SC/0016
Date of REC Opinion
18 Jan 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion