ICU sedation, delirium & recovery
The rate and assessment of muscle wasting during critical illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors' conclusion
On average, critically ill patients lose nearly 2% of skeletal muscle per day during the first week of ICU admission.
Study context
- Population
- Adult critically ill patients (studies with ≥20 patients measuring a muscle mass-related variable at two time points during intensive care unit (ICU) stay)
- Participants
- 3,251 patients · 52 studies
- Outcome
- Rate of muscle loss
- Follow-up
- First week of critical illness
Methodological detailsPRISMA guidelines, Newcastle-Ottawa Scale quality assessment, Searched MEDLINE, PubMed, AMED, BNI, CINAHL, and EMCARE until January 2022
- PRISMA guidelines
- Newcastle-Ottawa Scale quality assessment
- Searched MEDLINE, PubMed, AMED, BNI, CINAHL, and EMCARE until January 2022
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
Daily muscle loss during first week
Daily loss of rectus femoris thickness
−1.75%
95% CI −2.05, −1.45
Daily loss of rectus femoris cross-sectional area
−2.10%
95% CI −3.17, −1.02
Further pooled results
Prevalence of ICU-acquired weakness
- Overall prevalence
- 48% (95% CI 39%, 56%)
- 1478 (45%) patients assessed
Methods used to assess muscle mass
- Ultrasound (n = 28/33 studies)
- 85%
- CT (n = 5/33 studies)
- 15%
Original publication
The rate and assessment of muscle wasting during critical illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Crit Care. Published 3 January 2023. doi:10.
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