ICU sedation, delirium & recovery
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for early rehabilitation in critically ill patients: a systematic review of applied protocols
Authors' conclusion
The reviewed studies highlight the lack of standardization in NMES protocols for ICU patients.
Study context
- Population
- Adult intensive care unit (ICU) patients receiving neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) for early rehabilitation
- Participants
- 2,553 patients · 44 studies
- Outcome
- NMES protocol parameters
Methodological detailsdescriptive analysis, RCTs and observational studies, Search of MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Pedro and CINAHL up to August 18, 2025
- Descriptive analysis
- RCTs and observational studies
- Search of MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Pedro and CINAHL up to August 18, 2025
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Different NMES protocols applied
50
Pulse duration range
250-1,400 µs
Frequency range
20-121 Hz
Intensity range
2-250 mA or 20-250 V
Original publication
Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for early rehabilitation in critically ill patients: a systematic review of applied protocols. Crit Care. Published 10 February 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →