Background Blood flow restriction training (BFRT) is an efficient skeletal muscle rehabilitation training method, which can effectively enhance the muscle strength and quality of patients.
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of lower limb blood flow restriction training in maintaining or enhancing muscle strength and mass in ICU patients.
Methods From January 2021 to January 2022, 45 patients admitted to the ICU of a grade A hospital in Beijing were selected. Patients were randomly divided into 60% limb occlusion pressure (LOP) group, 40% LOP group and control group, with 15 cases in each group. Patients in the three groups received ICU routine treatment and nursing measures, the control group had no blood flow restriction to move the lower limbs, patients in the 60% LOP group and 40% LOP group were trained with blood flow restriction cuff in the lower limbs. Medical Research Council Score (MRC-Score) was evaluated before and after intervention. Rectus femoris cross-sectional area (RF-CSA), rectus femoris muscle thickness (RF-MT), medial gastrocnemius cross-sectional area (MG-CSA), and medial gastrocnemius muscle thickness (MG-MT) before and on day 3, 5, 7 after intervention were measured and recorded.
Results There were no significant differences in age, gender and other general information among the three groups (P＞0.05), and no significant difference was found in MRC-score before and after intervention among the three groups (P＞0.05). The MRC-score of 60% LOP group increased significantly after intervention compared with before intervention (P＜0.05). In the control group, RF-CSA, MG-CSA and MG-MT decreased at each time point during the intervention compared with before intervention (all P＜0.05), while the muscle parameters of 60% LOP group did not change significantly at each time point (P＞0.05). MG-CSA and MG-MT in 40% LOP group decreased significantly compared with before intervention (all P＜0.05). The difference of MG-CSA in the experimental group was smaller than that in the control group (P＜0.05), and the difference of MG-CSA in 60% LOP group was smaller than that in 40%LOP group. The difference between the control group and the 40% LOP group before and after MG-MT intervention was greater than that of the 60%LOP group (all P＜0.05), but there was no significant difference between the control group and the 40% LOP group (P＞0.05).
Conclusion Lower limb BFRT with 40% LOP and 60% LOP can alleviate muscle atrophy in ICU patients. 60% LOP is more effective than 40% LOP.
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