A new two-tier strength assessment approach to the diagnosis of weakness in intensive care: an observational study.

Abstract

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.