Respiratory failure & ventilation
Trends of Physical and Occupational Therapy Utilization in ICU Patients Undergoing Mechanical Ventilation in the United States: 2008–2021
Authors' conclusion
Early PT/OT usage rose during the early period, before declining significantly in 2020 and 2021. However, use in 2020 and 2021 remained higher than in 2008. Individual hospital of discharge was an important factor in determining who got PT/OT during IMV.
Study context
- Population
- Adults beginning invasive mechanical ventilation by hospitalization day 3 and ventilated continuously for 3–14 days, Premier Healthcare Database hospitals, US, 2008–2021
- Participants
- 1,228,909 adults · 814 hospitals
- Exposure
- Early PT/OT utilization across discharge years and across hospitals
- Outcome
- PT/OT usage within the first 3 days of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) (early PT/OT)
- Follow-up
- First 3 days of IMV
Methodological detailsmulticentre database, multilevel multivariable logistic regression
- Multicentre database
- Multilevel multivariable logistic regression
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Early PT/OT
Estimate (95% CI)
2016 vs 2008
aOR 1.52(1.46–1.59)
2020 vs 2008
aOR 1.23(1.18–1.29)
2021 vs 2008
aOR 1.20(1.15–1.26)
Higher use hospitals vs Lower use hospitals
mOR 2.82(2.67–2.97)
- Early PT/OT overall
- 118,662 (9.7%)
- Frequency rose 2008 to 2019
- 8.5-10.8%; ptrend < 0.001
- Frequency in 2020
- 9.5%
- Frequency in 2021
- 8.9%
- Median early PT/OT usage across hospitals (IQR 2.9-11.0%)
- 5.4%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Original publication
Trends of Physical and Occupational Therapy Utilization in ICU Patients Undergoing Mechanical Ventilation in the United States: 2008–2021. Crit Care Med. Published 23 July 2025. doi:10.
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