ICU sedation, delirium & recovery
Early Measurement of Quadriceps Response to Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation to Identify Future ICU-Acquired Weakness
Authors' conclusion
A model based on the quadriceps response to NMES after 24 hours of mechanical ventilation, or on the day of neuromuscular blocker cessation seems promising to anticipate future ICU-AW.
Study context
- Population
- Mechanically ventilated ICU patients (> 24 hr) with no prospect of extubation in the following 24 hours, Le Havre Hospital medico-surgical ICU39 (49%) developed ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW)
- Participants
- 80 participants
- Exposure
- Predictive model A vs model B vs combined model
- Outcome
- Prediction of ICU-AW (AUC)
Methodological detailssingle-centre, Quadriceps response to neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) measured by ultrasound and shear wave elastography after 24 hours of mechanical ventilation, or on the day of neuromuscular blocker cessation
- Single-centre
- Quadriceps response to NMES measured by ultrasound and shear wave elastography after 24 hours of mechanical ventilation, or on the day of neuromuscular blocker cessation
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
| Group | AUC | 95% CI |
|---|---|---|
| Model A | 0.87 | 0.79-0.95 |
| Combined model | 0.94 | 0.89-0.99 |
AUC
Model A0.87
Combined model0.94
95% CI
Model A0.79-0.95
Combined model0.89-0.99
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
ICU-AW incidence
- Developed ICU-AW
- 39 (49%)
Stimulation intensity at baseline
- AUC
- 0.77
- Higher intensity required in those who developed ICU-AW (p < 0.001)
- +21.6 mA
Quadriceps thickness and stiffness during NMES · baseline
- Thickness
- 3.83 ± 2.35 cm
- Stiffness
- 102.76 ± 74.1 kPa
Timing
- Intubation to baseline (days)
- 3.0
- Baseline to extubation (days)
- 7.5
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Early Measurement of Quadriceps Response to Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation to Identify Future ICU-Acquired Weakness. Crit Care Med. Published 5 February 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →