Electro-Neuro-Muscular Stimulation in Hospitalized Intensive Care Patients

We will examine whether the application of electro-neuro-muscular stimulation (ENMS) in critical care patients, can decrease the impact or severity of the critical illness myopathy (CIM) or neuropathy. We will also assess whether electro-neuro-muscular stimulation affect the incidence density rate of nosocomial pneumonia in the ICU.

Patients will be divided into two groups, Group A and Group B chosen at random. In Group A conventional physiotherapy will be applied while in Group B, ENMS will also be applied additional to physiotherapy, in the quadriceps muscles. The total time of applying ENMS will be 1 hour, it will be applied before the start of the physiotherapy per day of hospitalization and for 10 days in each patient.

The definition of CIM will be based on pathology muscular biopsy (quadriceps). Patients will undergo biopsy on the 1st and 11th day after entering the study. The technique of Gomori Trichrome will be used to determine the existence or absence of myopathy. In addition the ATPase technique will be applied at different prices of PH (PH: 9,4, PH: 4,6 and PH : 4.3), thus achieving a separation of myopathy and neuropathy.

The primary outcome of the study will be the incidence of myopathy in both groups, at day 12th. Considering that the incidence of myopathy in critically ill patients is 80% reducing this rate by 50% in the intervention group using statistical power equal to 0.80 up to a level of p <0.05, 12 number of patients will be required in each group.