[vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”24″]
Surviving a critical illness in the intensive care unit (ICU) is an important first step on the path to recovery.<\/strong> The prolonged inactivity associated with an ICU stay can have drastic effects on a patient\u2019s quality of life, which may have been further complicated by invasive procedures, medications, disease severity, and pre-existing conditions.<\/p>\n Professionals who specialize in rehabilitation, such as physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech-language pathologists, play a crucial role during and after an ICU stay by helping patients regain their strength and independence. Since access to these limited resources is key to recovery, rehabilitation professionals need to plan effectively to offer services for those who need them.<\/p>\n Frailty is a condition associated with aging, characterized by weakness, slowing, decreased energy, lower activity, and can include unintended weight loss. Research has demonstrated that frailty is a major risk factor in post-ICU outcomes and quality of life. Since various stressors can make adults with frailty more vulnerable, such as infection, injury, medication changes, etc., the dangers of COVID-19 among people with frailty \u2013 especially those admitted to the ICU \u2013 can be even more significant.<\/p>\n Patients living with frailty who endure a COVID-19-related ICU stay may need further support during their short-term and long-term recovery, but more research is needed to guide rehabilitation efforts for this population.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row_content” full_height=”yes” parallax=”true” parallax_image=”1218″][vc_column][vc_empty_space height=”750″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css_animation=”slideInRight” css=”.vc_custom_1663625943367{background-color: #ffffff !important;}”]<\/p>\n Dr. Michelle Kho\u00a0has led numerous ICU rehabilitation research projects, including the in-bed CYCLE project.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n Dr. Michelle Kho is a physical therapist and rehabilitation researcher at St. Joseph\u2019s Healthcare Hamilton. An associate professor in the School of Rehabilitation Science at McMaster University, Dr. Kho holds a Tier II Canada Research Chair in Critical Care Rehabilitation and Knowledge Translation.<\/p>\n In September 2021, Dr. Kho and her team were awarded over $700,000 from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to study the relationship between frailty, COVID-19 critical illness, and short-term ICU recovery in both adults and children. The study, called REVIVe<\/a> (\u201cFrailty, Rehabilitation, and Hospitalization Outcomes in Adult and Pediatric Survivors of COVID-19<\/em>\u201d), will soon launch at 35 sites across Canada.<\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″]