The impact of an early, viable, and low-cost mobilization protocol in critically ill patients: comparison with conventional physical therapy

ABSTRACT This study aims to analyze the outcomes of applying an early mobilization protocol, using low-cost interventions with the minimum necessary equipment in an intensive care unit. A clinical trial, controlled and randomized, conducted in collaboration with the Laboratory for Assessment and Research in Cardiorespiratory Performance of the Department of Physical Therapy at the Federal University of Minas Gerais and the Intensive Care Unit of Risoleta Tolentino Neves Hospital in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, over a period of 5 months. Patients were randomized into two groups (treatment n=67 and control n=67). The primary outcome was days of discharge from bed. Secondary outcomes included ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay, hospitalization costs, time on mechanical ventilation, ICU mortality, and hospital mortality. The group characteristics were similar in the initial assessment. It was found that 61 patients (97%) in the treatment group were discharged from bed compared to only two patients (3%) in the control group. The proposed mobilization protocol reduced hospitalization costs by 30.27%, an approximate difference of R$7,000.00 per patient. The mean ICU stay time for the treatment group was less than the control group. There were no statistically significant differences in ICU hours, hospital length of stay, or mechanical ventilation time. The results of this study demonstrated that the application of a low-cost and minimally equipped early mobilization protocol was safe and effective for patients, promoting early discharge from bed.