Korean Clinical Practice Guidelines for Rehabilitation in Critically Ill Patients and Post-Intensive Care Syndrome

Purpose : Survivors of critical illness commonly experience persistent physical, cognitive, and psychological impairments, collectively known as post-intensive care syndrome. Although intensive care unit (ICU) rehabilitation is now recognized as an important part of recovery after critical illness, rehabilitation practices remain inconsistent, and clinical practice guidelines adapted to the Korean healthcare context have not been available.Methods : These clinical practice guidelines were developed de novo by a multidisciplinary panel comprising critical care physicians, rehabilitation specialists, nurses, and allied health professionals. The panel prioritized 15 key clinical questions addressing adult, pediatric, and neonatal ICU (NICU) rehabilitation. Systematic literature searches were conducted in Medline via PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and KoreaMed, and the final searches for all 15 questions were completed by November 30, 2024. The certainty of evidence and strength of recommendations were assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework. Final recommendations were approved through a structured consensus process requiring at least 70% panel agreement.Results : The panel issued 15 recommendations across major rehabilitation domains, including early structured rehabilitation, criteria for withholding or discontinuing therapy, adjunctive modalities, rehabilitation frequency, inspiratory muscle training, swallowing rehabilitation, cognitive and occupational therapy, nutritional support, neonatal and pediatric ICU rehabilitation, and post-ICU follow-up care. Thirteen recommendations were conditional, whereas two were strong, mainly because they addressed patient safety.Conclusion : These guidelines provide evidence-informed recommendations for rehabilitation in critically ill patients across adult, pediatric, and NICUs in Korea. They are designed to standardize practice, improve patient safety, support patient-centered functional recovery beyond survival, and identify priorities for future research.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
Published
2026-10-27
DOI
https://doi.org/10.34250/jkccn.2026.19.3.1
Primary Topic
Intensive Care Unit Cognitive Disorders
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Korean Clinical Practice Guidelines for Rehabilitation in Critically Ill Patients and Post-Intensive Care Syndrome

Yu Hui Won, Myungeun Yoo, Myung‐Jun Shin, Yu Jin Im et al.
1 links
Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
Intensive Care Unit Cognitive Disorders
article

Korean Clinical Practice Guidelines for Rehabilitation in Critically Ill Patients and Post-Intensive Care Syndrome

Yu Hui Won, Myungeun Yoo, Myung‐Jun Shin, Yu Jin Im, Chi Ryang Chung, Min-Hyung Rhee, Song‐I Lee, Suk‐Kyung Hong, Hyun-Woo Sun, Myung Hun Jang, Seung-tak Kang, Mi‐Kyeong Jeon, Hak‐Jae Lee, Kyung Cheon Seo, Young Seok Kim, Jin Hee Jung, Jaewon Beom, Sun Ju Chang, Woo Chul Son, Jeong‐Yi Kwon, Hye Ju Yeo, Yoonju Na, So Young Ahn, Gee Young Suh, Sung Eun Hyun, Jiyeon Kang, Jong Geol Do, Won Dong Kim, Jin‐Young Park, Hyun Jung Kim, Tae Yoon Kim, Yumi Ha, Ye Rim Chang, Ji Youn Park, Eun Suk Choi, Kyung Hyup Koo
article en

Abstract

Purpose : Survivors of critical illness commonly experience persistent physical, cognitive, and psychological impairments, collectively known as post-intensive care syndrome. Although intensive care unit (ICU) rehabilitation is now recognized as an important part of recovery after critical illness, rehabilitation practices remain inconsistent, and clinical practice guidelines adapted to the Korean healthcare context have not been available.Methods : These clinical practice guidelines were developed de novo by a multidisciplinary panel comprising critical care physicians, rehabilitation specialists, nurses, and allied health professionals. The panel prioritized 15 key clinical questions addressing adult, pediatric, and neonatal ICU (NICU) rehabilitation. Systematic literature searches were conducted in Medline via PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and KoreaMed, and the final searches for all 15 questions were completed by November 30, 2024. The certainty of evidence and strength of recommendations were assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework. Final recommendations were approved through a structured consensus process requiring at least 70% panel agreement.Results : The panel issued 15 recommendations across major rehabilitation domains, including early structured rehabilitation, criteria for withholding or discontinuing therapy, adjunctive modalities, rehabilitation frequency, inspiratory muscle training, swallowing rehabilitation, cognitive and occupational therapy, nutritional support, neonatal and pediatric ICU rehabilitation, and post-ICU follow-up care. Thirteen recommendations were conditional, whereas two were strong, mainly because they addressed patient safety.Conclusion : These guidelines provide evidence-informed recommendations for rehabilitation in critically ill patients across adult, pediatric, and NICUs in Korea. They are designed to standardize practice, improve patient safety, support patient-centered functional recovery beyond survival, and identify priorities for future research.

Journal of Korean Critical Care NursingVol. 19(3)
Ewha Womans University (KR), Seoul National University (KR), Changwon National University (KR), Yonsei University (KR), Chungnam National University (KR), Korea University (KR), Eulji University (KR), Soonchunhyang University Hospital Seoul (KR), Asan Medical Center (KR), Samsung Medical Center (KR), Seoul National University Hospital (KR), Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (KR), University of Ulsan (KR), Ajou University Hospital (KR), Kangbuk Samsung Hospital (KR), Pusan National University Hospital (KR), Cochrane (KR), Jeonbuk National University Hospital (KR), Chungnam National University Hospital (KR), Gangnam Severance Hospital (KR), Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital (KR), Korea University (JP), Eulji University Uijeongbu Eulji Medical Center (KR), Korea University Anam Hospital (KR), Ewha Womans University Seoul Hospital (KR), Pusan National University (KR), Dong-A University (KR), Jeonbuk National University (KR), Sungkyunkwan University (KR)
Good health and well-being
Openalex Percentile: Top 12%
Intensive Care Unit Cognitive Disorders
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.

Laika access coming soon