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Physiotherapy and Optimised Nutrition in Survivors of Critical Illness

Not Applicable
Active, not recruiting
Conditions
Critical Illness
Interventions
Other: Structured physiotherapy and rehabilitation
Other: Standard care
Registration Number
NCT06159868
Lead Sponsor
University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust
Brief Summary

The goal of this randomised controlled feasibility study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of individualised physiotherapy and optimised nutrition, delivered on the ward following discharge from intensive care to increase days alive and out of hospital, as well as the proposed methodology to optimise design and delivery for a definitive evaluation trial. Specific objectives are:

i. To assess acceptability of the intervention to users and providers. ii. To assess feasibility of recruitment procedures for a future trial. iii. To estimate recruitment, retention and measure completion rates for a future trial.

Participants will receive a combination of structured, individualised physiotherapy and optimised nutrition, beginning immediately following recruitment and continuing for up to 14days or hospital discharge, whichever is sooner. As a feasibility trial the primary outcomes to be assessed are around study feasibility. The investigators will also compare clinical outcomes for the intervention participants in comparison to those receiving standard care to see if the intervention increases the number of days alive and out of hospital within 30 days of recruitment.

Detailed Description

Research question Is it feasible and acceptable to undertake a randomised controlled trial evaluating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of an individualised physiotherapy and nutrition support intervention, delivered on the ward following ICU discharge, in adult survivors of critical illness?

Background Each year in the UK, 140,000 patients are discharged from intensive care units (ICU) to general hospital wards, almost all with complex rehabilitation needs. Eighty-four percent of patients still require nutritional support and 98% are not physically independent. Despite this, many are discharged from ICU without a nutrition plan and failure to recognise malnutrition is common. Consequently, malnutrition persists in the ward environment, leading to poor outcomes in itself, and additionally acts as a barrier to successful physical rehabilitation. This transition from intensive care to the ward represents a key stage in the recovery journey, and a window for optimising physical independence prior to hospital discharge, decreasing the need for support in the community. However, uncertainty as to how best to provide ongoing rehabilitation combining adequate nutrition and exercise on the general ward has driven widespread variation in practice.

The investigators have previously shown the benefits of delivering a structured rehabilitation strategy in the ICU. However, the ward environment poses different challenges to the development of an integrated rehabilitation pathway. There is a need to evaluate the clinical and cost-effectiveness of structured rehabilitation strategies when delivered outside the ICU.

Aims To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of conducting a randomised controlled trial evaluating the clinical and cost-effectiveness of structured, individualised physiotherapy and nutritional support in ward-based patients following ICU discharge.

Objectives:

i. To assess acceptability of the intervention to users and providers ii. To assess feasibility of recruitment procedures for a future trial iii. To estimate recruitment, retention and measure completion rates

Methods PHOENIX is a two-centre, allocation-concealed, open-label, parallel group, randomised controlled feasibility trial with integrated qualitative evaluation of acceptability.

The investigators will recruit sixty adult survivors from intensive care units at two university hospitals, with ongoing physiotherapy and nutritional needs at ICU discharge. Participants will be randomised on a 1:1 basis to receive the structured rehabilitation intervention or standard care. The intervention comprises enhanced physiotherapy, delivered by a specialist critical care team, in combination with optimised nutrition guided by indirect calorimetry.

Primary feasibility outcomes are recruitment and retention rates, and intervention fidelity. Acceptability will be evaluated through semi structured interviews of participants and staff.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
60
Inclusion Criteria
  • Adults (≥ 18 years) that received ≥ 4 days advanced respiratory support (defined as invasive or non-invasive ventilation) on ICU,
  • Alive at ICU discharge
  • On-going physiotherapy and dietetic rehabilitation needs identified by the PICUPS tool (Defined as patients who are unable to transfer from bed to chair independently AND not able to meet nutritional requirements independently).
Exclusion Criteria
  • Death expected within the next 72 hours,
  • Poor pre-ICU admission mobility (inability to walk > 10 metres with or without an aid)
  • mobilisation contraindicated (e.g., spinal injury),
  • Contraindication to or inability to tolerate enteral nutrition,
  • Significant brain injury and not recovered to a GCS of ≥ 14 by ICU discharge.

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
InterventionStructured physiotherapy and rehabilitationStructured and individualised physiotherapy in combination with optimised nutrition delivered by s specialist critical care rehabilitation team
ControlStandard careStandard ward based care
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Recruitment rateAt recruitment within the 6 month screening window

Proportion of patients agreeing to take part out of all those invited (recruitment rate)

Intervention adherenceFor 14 days following recruitment

Percentage of intervention sessions completed

Retention ratefrom recruitment up to 30 days

Proportion of participants who complete the primary outcome (retention rate)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Days alive and out of hospital in 30 days30 days following recruitment

To evaluate the number of days alive and out of hospital within the 30 days following recruitment

Functional independenceAt baseline, 14 days and 30 days

Assessed using the Barthel Index

Health Related Quality of LifeAt 30 days following recruitment

Assessed using the EQ5D-5L

Physical FunctionAt baseline, 14 days and 30 days

Assessed using the 30 second sit to stand test

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire

🇬🇧

Coventry, Midlands, United Kingdom

Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust

🇬🇧

Oxford, United Kingdom

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