Critical Illness Weakness Outside the Intensive Care Unit.
When people become seriously ill, their bodies can be affected in many ways beyond the original disease. One well-known complication in patients treated in intensive care units (ICUs) is the development of severe muscle weakness caused by damage to muscles and nerves. This condition is called critical illness-related w
| Condition(s) | Critical Illness Polyneuromyopathy, Critical Illness Polyneuropathy, Critical Illness Myopathy |
|---|---|
| Status | Recruiting |
| Study type | Observational |
| Summary | When people become seriously ill, their bodies can be affected in many ways beyond the original disease. One well-known complication in patients treated in intensive care units (ICUs) is the development of severe muscle weakness caused by damage to muscles and nerves. This condition is called critical illness-related weakness and includes disorders of the nerves (neuropathy), the muscles (myopathy), or both. These problems can make it difficult for patients to move, walk, or even breathe independently, and recovery can take months or longer. So far, most research on this type of weakness has focused on patients who were treated in ICUs. However, many hospitalized patients outside the ICU-such as those admitted to internal medicine wards or semi-intensive care units-can also experience seve |
| Who can participate | Inclusion Criteria: * Age ≥ 18 years * Hospitalization for acute illness in a non-ICU unit * For the critical illness cohort: presence of organ failure defined as a SOFA score ≥ 2 at admission or an increase (ΔSOFA) ≥ 2 during hospitalization * For the control cohort: SOFA score \< 2 throughout hospitalization * Ability to provide written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * History of peripheral neuropathy, myopathy, or other neuromuscular disorders (e.g., myasthenia gravis) * Conditions affecting the lower limbs that prevent electrophysiological testing * Delirium with agitation preventing clinical evaluation * Coma or inability to assess muscle strength |
| Sex | All |
| Lead sponsor | Istituto Clinico Humanitas |
| Locations | Rozzano, Italy |
| Start date | 2025-11-18 |
| NCT ID | NCT07478367 |
| Official listing | https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT07478367 |