SynthesisFrontiers in medicine2026
Systematic review and meta-analysis of physical rehabilitation on functional recovery in critically ill patients.
Synthesis in Frontiers in medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Purpose: Survivors of critical illness frequently experience persistent physical impairment, particularly ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW), which contributes to prolonged disability after intensive care. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of physical rehabilitation on muscle strength, physical function, health-related quality of life, and clinical outcomes in critically ill adults. Methods: Four electronic databases were searched from inception to March 2026. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing physical rehabilitation with usual rehabilitation in adult critically ill patients were included. The primary outcome was muscle strength assessed by the Medical Research Council (MRC) sum score. Secondary outcomes included ICU-AW, physical function, health-related quality of life, duration of mechanical ventilation (MV), mortality, and ICU and hospital length of stay. Results: Forty RCTs involving 5,135 patients (2,554 physical rehabilitation; 2,581 usual rehabilitation) were included. Physical rehabilitation was associated with improved MRC sum score (SMD 0.26, 95% CI 0.05-0.46; Conclusion: Physical rehabilitation is associated with improved muscle strength and functional recovery, reduced ICU-AW, and shorter mechanical ventilation duration and ICU stay, but not reduced mortality. Further high-quality Multicenter trials are needed to define the optimal rehabilitation strategy. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42023462649, Identifier CRD42023462649.
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