Effects of early mobilization in critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care unit: Narrative review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62827/fb.v27i3.1173Keywords:
Early Ambulation; Intensive Care Units; Rehabilitation; Physiotherapy Modalities; Critical Care.Abstract
Introduction: Early mobilization has been widely used in critically ill patients admitted to intensive care units, aiming to minimize the deleterious effects of prolonged immobility, and is considered a safe and effective physiotherapy intervention for critically ill patients. Objective: A narrative review was conducted on the early mobilization approaches currently used, identifying their effects and benefits in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Methods: This is a narrative review, carried out through searches in the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), internationally in the U.S. National Library of Medicine (PubMed/MEDLINE) databases. Academic books in the field of physiotherapy were used for theoretical foundation and contextualization of the topic. Thirty-five articles were identified and analyzed, of which nine were excluded for not meeting the predetermined inclusion criteria. Finally, prioritizing recent scientific evidence, 26 studies published between 2014 and 2025 were included in the analysis. Results: The studies analyzed demonstrated that early mobilization promotes respiratory, muscular, cardiovascular, and neurological benefits, thus reducing the deleterious effects of immobility syndrome. Conclusion: Early mobilization presents itself as a safe and effective approach when applied to critically ill patients, contributing to functional recovery and reducing complications associated with prolonged immobility.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Eduarda Cintra Esquivel, Luiz Fernando Prado Pacheco, Stephani Quirino Bastos, Victor Levi da Silva Conceição, Fábio Cavalcanti Araujo (Autor)
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