Journal of rehabilitation medicine : official journal of the UEMS European Board of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on muscle layer thickness of knee extensor muscles in intensive care unit patients: a pilot study.
It is known that patients in the intensive care unit show an enormous loss of muscle mass. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation is effective in enhancing strength and endurance in immobilized patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on muscle layer thickness of knee extensor muscles in intensive care unit patients. ⋯ Neuromuscular electrical stimulation appears to be a useful adjunct to revert muscle wasting in intensive care unit long-term patients; however, larger studies with a larger sample size are needed to confirm these promising, but preliminary, results.