Electric Muscle Stimulation for Patients With Chronic Respiratory Failure

Mackay Memorial Hospital

Status: Terminated

Conditions: Chronic Respiratory Failure; Critical Illness Myopathy

Treatments: Device: EMS

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01930643

13MMHIS070

Details and patient eligibility

About

Background: After mechanical ventilation, 5-20% of patients with acute respiratory failure would depend on ventilator support more than 14 days because of critical-illness weakness and their underlying diseases such as heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Hypothesis: Electric muscle stimulation(EMS) will improve their muscle strength and shorten their ventilator days.

Design: Randomized controlled trial. Adult patients with mechanical ventilation more than 14 days are eligible. EMS would be applied in experimental group 32 minutes/day on their bilateral thigh.

Full description

Randomized controlled trial involves the adult patients with invasive mechanical ventilation more than 14 days. The participants were not eligible for active rehabilitation because of drowisness or weakness(Medical Research Council (MRC) Scale for Muscle Strength≦ Grade 3).

EMS would be applied in experimental group 32 minutes/day on their bilateral thigh(quadriceps muscle).

Enrollment: 13 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 20 to 90 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Adult patient required mechanical ventilation more than 14 days
• No ability for active endurance exercise because of poor consciousness or limb weakness.

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnant women
• Limb wound/infection interfered with electric pad application
• Recent acute myocardial infarction or life-threatening arrhythmia
• Uncontrolled epilepsy
• Dying patients without attempt of ventilator weaning
• Absence of respiratory drive

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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13 participants in 2 patient groups

Electric muscle stimulation(EMS)

Experimental group

Description:

EMS:use programmed middle frequency electric stimulation device(HELEX 573)for both quadriceps stimulation, 32 minutes per day, 5 time per week.

Treatment:

Device: EMS

Control

No Intervention group

Description:

Patients with routine passive rehabilitation program.