Early and Intensive Occupational Therapy in Mechanical Ventilated Patients

Early and Intensive Occupational Therapy Improves the Functional Status of Critical Patients Undergoing Mechanical Ventilation at Discharge: Randomized Clinical Trial

This study evaluates the efficacy of an early and intensive occupational therapy (OT) protocol in critical adult patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Evaluating the functional independence at hospital discharge.

A randomized clinical trial with an experimental-control will be implemented, considering the prospective multicenter group, with parallel groups, in a 1:1 ratio, in 3 Chilean hospitals.

A control group will has a standard analgesia, sedation, delirium and mobilization (ASDM) measures or an intervention group will have early and intensive OT plus ASDM.

The intervention group will receive 20 OT sessions, mainly twice a day, which considers a predefined protocol of actions according to the patient's condition

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age equal to or greater than 18 years.
• Need for hospitalization in ICU.
• At least 12 h of invasive mechanical ventilation
• Informed consent signed by legal representative and / or patient.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Known cognitive impairment before admission with short IQCODE (Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly) Scores> 3.3 were excluded.
• Previous functional impairment, FAQ (Functional Activities Questionnaire) defined as > 6 points.
• Severe communication disorder and cultural limitation of language (language different from Spanish)
• Patient with limited therapeutic proportionality.
• Neurocritical patients (moderate-severe Traumatic Brain Injury / stroke of some kind / among others)
• Spinal injury or unstable fractures that limit mobilization