Journal article
A new two-tier strength assessment approach to the diagnosis of weakness in intensive care: An observational study
SM Parry, S Berney, CL Granger, DL Dunlop, L Murphy, D El-Ansary, R Koopman, L Denehy
Critical Care | BMC | Published : 2015
Open access
Abstract
Introduction: Intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) is a significant problem. There is currently widespread variability in the methods used for manual muscle testing and handgrip dynamometry (HGD) to diagnose ICU-AW. This study was conducted in two parts. The aims of this study were: to determine the inter-rater reliability and agreement of manual muscle strength testing using both isometric and through-range techniques using the Medical Research Council sum score and a new four-point scale, and to examine the validity of HGD and determine a cutoff score for the diagnosis of ICU-AW for the new four-point scale. Methods: Part one involved evaluation of muscle strength by two physical..
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Awarded by National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge and thank the staff of the physiotherapy and intensive care departments at Austin Health, Melbourne, Australia, for their ongoing support of the project. Selina M Parry was supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council PhD Scholarship (#103923).