Development of a Rehabilitation Strengthening and Mobility Program for Ventilator Dependent Older Patients

Summary

As the general population ages and technology advances, many who suffer from catastrophic critical illness (i.e. septic shock, respiratory failure, Acute Respiratory Disease Syndrome) survive only to find themselves severely physically debilitated and compromised from a pulmonary standpoint, requiring assistance from a mechanical ventilator in order to breath. Oftentimes, these patients require a long course of physical rehabilitation and ventilator support. These patients frequently remain ventilator dependent for greater than 3 weeks, and are thus referred to as requiring prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV).

Older patients are at significantly higher risk for requiring PMV for reasons that are not entirely clear, but which may include physical deconditioning, impaired cardiopulmonary physiology, and cognitive or behavioral disturbances.

The purpose of this study is two fold: 1. to characterize the functional phenotype of ventilator dependent, and recently ventilated patients with respect to general strength, endurance, balance, and pulmonary functioning and body composition. 2. To pilot test a rehabilitation protocol that targets improving this populations disabilities through exercises focused on improving strength, endurance, balance, and pulmonary functioning.

Conditions

• Respiration, Artificial
• Critical Illness
• Chronic Disease
• Exercise Therapy
• Rehabilitation
• Physical Therapy Modalities

Interventions

OTHER

multimodal physical therapy

Consist of limb strengthening exercises, endurance training, and balance/coordination drills. These exercises and training maneuvers may involve the use of handheld weights, nautilus weight equipment, elastic exercise bands, stationary exercise machines (recumbent exercise cycles, hand ergometer cycles), or treadmills. If the subject is fit enough, Tai Chi may be added to as a training method to help improve your balance and strength. In addition, the subject will be asked to wear an accelerometer on their wrist

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute on Aging (NIA)

  collaborator NIH

• US Department of Veterans Affairs

  collaborator FED

• University of Maryland, Baltimore

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Avelino C Verceles, MD,MS · University of Maryland, Baltimore

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

20 Years

Max Age

100 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2011-06-28

Primary Completion

2015-07-31

Completion

2017-02-01

Countries

• United States

Study Locations