Limited Mobility to the Bed Reduces the Chances of Discharge and Increases the Chances of Death in the ICU

Abstract

Background: Progressive mobility in the ICU has been recommended; however, the definitions of low, moderate, and high mobility in the ICU still diverge between studies. Therefore, our objective was to classify the mobility of the sample from verticalization and active withdrawal from the bed, and from that, to analyze the chances of discharge, death, and readmission to the ICU. Materials and methods: This is an observational and retrospective study that consults the medical records of individuals admitted to the ICU of the University Hospital of Sergipe (HU/SE) between August 2017 and August 2018. Mobility level was classified based on the Intensive Care Unit Mobility Scale (IMS). Results: A total of 121 individuals were included. The mean age was 61.45 ± 16.45, being 53.7% female. Of these, 28 (23.1%) had low mobility, 33 (27.3%) had moderate mobility, and 60 (49.6%) had high mobility. Individuals with low mobility were 45 times more likely to die (OR = 45.3; 95% CI = 3.23–636.3) and 88 times less likely to be discharged from the ICU (OR = 0.22; 95% CI = 0.002–0.30). Conclusion: Those who evolved with low mobility had a higher chance of death and a lower chance of discharge from the ICU. Moderate and high mobility were not associated with the investigated outcomes.

Keywords

• mobility limitation
• intensive care unit
• early ambulation