An Enhanced Rehabilitation Approach for a Patient With Leukemia and Severe Intensive Care Unit-Acquired Weakness Following Critical Pneumonia

Intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) is common in patients with sepsis, multiple organ failure, or prolonged mechanical ventilation; however, reports of ICU-AW during periods of immunodeficiency and cytopenia associated with leukemia treatment are limited. This report describes a case of a patient with leukemia who developed severe ICU-AW and was successfully managed with enhanced rehabilitation that progressively increased in both intensity and frequency. A female patient in her late 50s, diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and undergoing postremission therapy, developed aspiration pneumonia and required mechanical ventilation. She exhibited severe ICU-AW after extubation. After enhanced rehabilitation, including standing and walking exercises and strength training based on her clinical indicators, significant improvements in muscle strength and activities of daily living were achieved. She was discharged 72 days after extubation with no severe adverse events during rehabilitation. This report suggests that enhanced rehabilitation may be effective and safe in patients with severe ICU-AW who have immunodeficiency and pancytopenia.