Ejercicio físico como tratamiento efectivo y seguro en el paciente crítico: una revisión sistemática

To establish the safety and effectiveness of exercise-based programmes in patients admitted to intensive care units, a search was conducted in the following databases: Medline, Cochrane Register of Trials, CINAHL, LILACS, Embase, and PEDro. The limiting factors applied were age, time, language and type of study. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated using the CASPe template. Ten randomised controlled trials were obtained, with a total of 679 patients. The heterogeneity of the studies did not allow meta-analysis. Significant improvements were related to increased respiratory muscle strength and to the ability to walk and perform activities of daily living. No significant improvements were found in the duration of mechanical ventilation or in reduced length of stay. No serious adverse effects were found. In conclusion, exercise-based therapy can be considered safe and effective in critically-ill patients.