Surgical ICU patients benefit from early mobilization

Editor's Note

Surgical ICU patients who were assigned to an early mobilization program were discharged sooner from the ICU and the hospital and needed less help after discharge, compared with those who had standard care, this study finds.

The analysis included 104 patients assigned to early mobilization and 96 who received standard care.

Setting daily goals for each patient was a key element of the program. Encouraging patients to get out of bed sooner stems muscle weakness progression that can lead to prolonged rehabilitation, the authors say.