Exercise rehabilitation after hospital stay for survivors with muscle weakness from intensive care: A pilot trial

High adherence and patient acceptability were observed in a pilot trial of a 16-session exercise-based rehabilitation program for patients with ICU-acquired weakness.

• Feasibility of the exercise program was demonstrated but was limited by low enrollment rates among screened patients.
• No adverse events were reported during the rehabilitation sessions.
• The study was underpowered to detect the effectiveness of the intervention due to the small sample size.
• The use of manual muscle testing for diagnosing ICU-acquired weakness was insufficiently robust for determining rehabilitation needs.
• Methodological factors impacting the trial were categorized into four areas: population, intervention, control group, and outcome.

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