Maintaining critically ill patients in an immobile or minimally mobile state during care may potentiate muscle loss and deconditioning. Excessive and/or prolonged use of sedatives is associated with worse outcomes, including increased delirium, excessive use of diagnostic imaging for coma, increased number of tracheostomies, greater duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU length-of-stay.
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Schweickert WD, et al. Early physical and occupational therapy in mechanically ventilated, critically ill patients: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. 2009 May 30;373(9678):1874-82. PMID: 19446324.