Inactivity May Identify Older Intensive Care Unit Survivors at Risk for Post-Intensive Care Syndrome.

Only 49 participants were enrolled, and the activity observation lasted only 24 hours. The study was exploratory and cross-sectional, so it cannot show that low activity caused cognitive, physical, or psychological problems. Participants were English- or Spanish-speaking, aged 65 and older, had required mechanical ventilation, and were functionally independent before admission, so results may not apply to other ICU survivors. Differences in activity related to depression and anxiety did not reach statistical significance. Delirium was not reliably assessed because clinical documentation was considered unreliable, and delirium may have affected activity and cognition. The authors did not review physical or occupational therapy session durations, so therapy time may have influenced activity counts. Many participants were admitted for major surgery and may have received opioids, which could have affected activity.

The supplied text lists NIH extramural research support. It does not report other funding or author conflicts of interest.

Do not conclude that inactivity causes post-intensive care syndrome or that increasing activity will improve outcomes. The study was small, observational, and exploratory, and the psychological distress differences did not reach statistical significance.