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The 6-Minute Walk Test predicts long-term physical improvement among intensive care unit survivors: a prospective cohort study

ABSTRACT

Objective:

To evaluate the ability of the 6-Minute Walk Test to predict long-term physical functional status improvement among intensive care unit survivors.

Methods:

Thirty-two intensive care unit survivors were prospectively evaluated from February 2017 to August 2018 in a post-intensive care unit outpatient clinic in Brazil. Individuals with intensive care unit stays > 72 hours (emergency admissions) or > 120 hours (elective admissions) attending the post-intensive care unit clinic four months after intensive care unit discharge were consecutively enrolled. The association between the 6-Minute Walk Test distance at baseline and physical functional status was assessed over 8 months using the Barthel Index.

Results:

The mean 6-Minute Walk Test distance was significantly lower in intensive care unit survivors than in the general population (405m versus 557m; p < 0.001). Age (β = -4.0; p < 0.001) and muscle weakness (β = -99.7; p = 0.02) were associated with the 6-Minute Walk Test distance. A 6-Minute Walk Test distance was associated with improvement in physical functional status over the 8-month follow-up (odds ratio for each 10m of 1.07; 95%CI 1.01 - 1.16; p = 0.03). The area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve for the 6-Minute Walk Test prediction of physical functional status improvement was 0.72 (95%CI 0.53 - 0.88).

Conclusion:

The 6-Minute Walk Test performed 4 months after intensive care unit discharge predicted long-term physical functional status among intensive care unit survivors with moderate accuracy.

Keywords:
Intensive care; After care; Rehabilitation; Physical functional performance; Exercise test

RESUMO

Objetivo:

Avaliar a capacidade do Teste de Caminhada de 6 Minutos para predizer a melhora do estado funcional físico em longo prazo de pacientes sobreviventes à unidade de terapia intensiva.

Métodos:

Foram avaliados, de forma prospectiva, entre fevereiro de 2017 e agosto de 2018, em um ambulatório pós-unidade de terapia intensiva, 32 sobreviventes à unidade de terapia intensiva. Foram inscritos consecutivamente os pacientes com permanência na unidade de terapia intensiva acima de 72 horas (para admissões emergenciais) ou acima de 120 horas (para admissões eletivas) que compareceram ao ambulatório pós-unidade de terapia intensiva 4 meses após receberem alta da unidade de terapia intensiva. A associação entre a distância percorrida no Teste de Caminhada de 6 Minutos realizado na avaliação inicial e a evolução do estado funcional físico foi avaliada durante 8 meses, com utilização do Índice de Barthel.

Resultados:

A distância média percorrida no Teste de Caminhada de 6 Minutos foi significantemente mais baixa nos sobreviventes à unidade de terapia intensiva do que na população geral (405m versus 557m; p < 0,001). A idade (β = -4,0; p < 0,001) e a fraqueza muscular (β = -99,7; p = 0,02) se associaram com a distância percorrida no Teste de Caminhada de 6 Minutos. A distância percorrida no Teste de Caminhada de 6 Minutos se associou com melhora do estado funcional físico no período de 8 meses de acompanhamento desses pacientes (razão de chance para cada 10m: 1,07; IC95% 1,01 - 1,16; p = 0,03). A área sob a curva Característica de Operação do Receptor para predição da melhora funcional física pelo Teste de Caminhada de 6 Minutos foi de 0,72 (IC95% 0,53 - 0,88).

Conclusão:

O Teste de Caminhada de 6 Minutos, realizado 4 meses após a alta da unidade de terapia intensiva, predisse com precisão moderada a melhora do estado funcional físico de sobreviventes à unidade de terapia intensiva.

Descritores:
Cuidados intensivos; Assistência ao convalescente; Reabilitação; Desempenho físico funcional; Teste de esforço

INTRODUCTION

The long-term physical, cognitive, and mental health disabilities that often affect survivors of critical illness are associated with decreased quality of life for subjects and their families.(11 Prescott HC, Angus DC. Enhancing recovery from sepsis: a review. JAMA. 2018;319(1):62-75.,22 Azoulay E, Vincent JL, Angus DC, Arabi YM, Brochard L, Brett SJ, et al. Recovery after critical illness: putting the puzzle together-a consensus of 29. Crit Care. 2017;21(1):296.) Additionally, physical impairment after discharge from the intensive care unit (ICU) complicates access to rehabilitation and return to work or studies and has been associated with death.(33 Rosa RG, Kochhann R, Berto P, Biason L, Maccari JG, De Leon P, et al. More than the tip of the iceberg: association between disabilities and inability to attend a clinic-based post-ICU follow-up and how it may impact on health inequalities. Intensive Care Med. 2018;44(8):1352-4.

4 Hodgson CL, Udy AA, Bailey M, Barrett J, Bellomo R, Bucknall T, et al. The impact of disability in survivors of critical illness. Intensive Care Med. 2017;43(7):992-1001.
-55 Rydingsward JE, Horkan CM, Mogensen KM, Quraishi SA, Amrein K, Christopher KB. Functional status in ICU survivors and out of hospital outcomes: a cohort study. Crit Care Med. 2016;44(5):869-79.)

The 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) is a standardized measure of functional exercise capacity(66 Holland AE, Spruit MA, Troosters T, Puhan MA, Pepin V, Saey D, et al. An official European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society technical standard: field walking tests in chronic respiratory disease. Eur Respir J. 2014;44(6):1428-46.) that has been proposed as a prognostic factor for subjects with chronic disorders such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), heart failure, and pulmonary arterial hypertension.(77 Andrianopoulos V, Wouters EF, Pinto-Plata VM, Vanfleteren LE, Bakke PS, Franssen FM, et al. Prognostic value of variables derived from the six-minute walk test in patients with COPD: results from the ECLIPSE study. Respir Med. 2015;109(9):1138-46.

8 Durheim MT, Smith PJ, Babyak MA, Mabe SK, Martinu T, Welty-Wolf KE, et al. Six-minute-walk distance and accelerometry predict outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease independent of Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease 2011 Group. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2015;12(3):349-56.

9 Du H, Wonggom P, Tongpeth J, Clark RA. Six-minute walk test for assessing physical functional capacity in chronic heart failure. Curr Heart Fail Rep. 2017;14(3):158-66.
-1010 Demir R, Küçüko lu MS. Six-minute walk test in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Anatol J Cardiol. 2015;15(3):249-54.) Among COPD subjects, for example, the distance covered during the 6MWT has been associated with hospitalizations and survival.(77 Andrianopoulos V, Wouters EF, Pinto-Plata VM, Vanfleteren LE, Bakke PS, Franssen FM, et al. Prognostic value of variables derived from the six-minute walk test in patients with COPD: results from the ECLIPSE study. Respir Med. 2015;109(9):1138-46.,88 Durheim MT, Smith PJ, Babyak MA, Mabe SK, Martinu T, Welty-Wolf KE, et al. Six-minute-walk distance and accelerometry predict outcomes in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease independent of Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease 2011 Group. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2015;12(3):349-56.) The 6MWT is easy to perform, well tolerated, safe, and more reflective of activities for daily living than other walking tests.(1111 Solway S, Brooks D, Lacasse Y, Thomas S. A qualitative systematic overview of the measurement properties of functional walk tests used in the cardiorespiratory domain. Chest. 2001;119(1):256-70.,1212 Chan KS, Aronson Friedman L, Dinglas VD, Hough CL, Shanholtz C, Ely EW, et al. Are physical measures related to patient-centred outcomes in ARDS survivors? Thorax. 2017;72(10):884-92.) Moreover, the 6MWT is frequently used in cohorts of ICU survivors to assess recovery of exercise capacity;(1313 Herridge MS, Tansey CM, Matté A, Tomlinson G, Diaz-Granados N, Cooper A, Guest CB, Mazer CD, Mehta S, Stewart TE, Kudlow P, Cook D, Slutsky AS, Cheung AM; Canadian Critical Care Trials Group. Functional disability 5 years after acute respiratory distress syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2011;364(14):1293-304.

14 Elliott D, McKinley S, Alison J, Aitken LM, King M, Leslie GD, et al. Health-related quality of life and physical recovery after a critical illness: a multi-centre randomised controlled trial of a home-based physical rehabilitation program. Crit Care. 2011;15(3):R142.

15 Haines KJ, Berney S, Warrillow S, Denehy L. Long-term recovery following critical illness in an Australian cohort. J Intensive Care. 2018;6:8.
-1616 Chen YC, Chen KC, Lu LH, Wu YL, Lai TJ, Wang CH. Validating the 6-minute walk test as an indicator of recovery in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a prospective cohort study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(42):e12925.) however, the literature evaluating the 6MWT as a predictor of long-term physical improvement in this population is scarce. Accordingly, the present study aimed to evaluate the 6MWT as a predictor of long-term physical improvement in general ICU survivors attending a post-ICU outpatient clinic.

METHODS

This prospective cohort study was conducted with consecutive ICU survivors attending a post-ICU outpatient referral clinic that provides follow-up care to subjects from four tertiary hospitals in Porto Alegre (RS), Brazil. The 6MWT was performed at the clinic 4 months after discharge from the ICU as part of the baseline physical assessment of these subjects. Subjects were followed up for eight months using structured telephone interviews.

The study was conducted in accordance with good clinical practice and approved by the institutional review boards of all participating centers. Consent for participation was obtained from all study subjects or their proxies. The inclusion criteria were age ≥ 18 years, ICU stay ≥ 72 hours in cases of emergency medical or surgical admissions or ≥ 120 hours in cases of elective surgical admissions. The exclusion criteria were the presence of any contraindications or limitations to perform the 6MWT (i.e., inability to walk, unstable cardiac disease, unstable respiratory disease, severe cognitive impairment, or any medical contraindication).

Definitions

Characteristics related to ICU stay (ICU admission type, risk of death at ICU admission, diagnosis of sepsis, organ dysfunction during ICU stay, and length of ICU stay) were obtained retrospectively through review of medical records by site investigators of each of the four hospitals referring subjects to the outpatient clinic. The risk of death at ICU admission was calculated according to the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II)(1717 Knaus WA, Draper EA, Wagner DP, Zimmerman JE. APACHE II: a severity of disease classification system. Crit Care Med. 1985;13(10):818-29.) or the Simplified Acute Physiology Score 3 (SAPS 3).(1818 Le Gall JR, Lemeshow S, Saulnier F. A new Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS II) based on a European/North American multicenter study. JAMA. 1993;270(24):2957-63.) Sepsis was defined according to sepsis 2 criteria.(1919 Dellinger RP, Levy MM, Rhodes A, Annane D, Gerlach H, Opal SM, Sevransky JE, Sprung CL, Douglas IS, Jaeschke R, Osborn TM, Nunnally ME, Townsend SR, Reinhart K, Kleinpell RM, Angus DC, Deutschman CS, Machado FR, Rubenfeld GD, Webb SA, Beale RJ, Vincent JL, Moreno R; Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines Committee including the Pediatric Subgroup. Surviving sepsis campaign: international guidelines for management of severe sepsis and septic shock: 2012. Crit Care Med. 2013;41(2):580-637.) Organ dysfunction was defined as the presence of any of the following conditions during the ICU stay: need for invasive mechanical ventilation, vasopressors, renal replacement therapy (except for subjects under chronic dialysis treatment), parenteral nutrition, blood or blood product transfusion, and delirium (measured according the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU).(2020 Ely EW, Margolin R, Francis J, May L, Truman B, Dittus R, et al. Evaluation of delirium in critically ill patients: validation of the Confusion Assessment Method for the Intensive Care Unit (CAM-ICU). Crit Care Med. 2001;29(7):1370-9.)

Variables related to the patient’s health status at the post-ICU outpatient evaluation - during the first 7 days after ICU discharge (age, educational attainment, comorbidities, physical functional status, muscle strength, frailty, cognitive status, resilience and symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder - PTSD) were evaluated by trained investigators during face-to-face assessments with validated tools. Comorbidities were assessed using the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI; scores range from zero to 33, with higher scores indicating greater comorbidity).(2121 Charlson ME, Pompei P, Ales KL, MacKenzie CR. A new method of classifying prognostic comorbidity in longitudinal studies: development and validation. J Chronic Dis. 1987;40(5):373-83.) The CCI score was dichotomized into low (zero or one) or high comorbidity (≥ 2). Physical functional status was assessed using the Barthel Index (BI; scores range from zero to one hundred, with higher scores indicating better functional status).(2222 Mahoney FI, Barthel DW. Functional evaluation: the Barthel Index. Md State Med J. 1965;14:61-5.) Subjects were classified as independent (BI > 95), mildly dependent (BI > 75 to 95), moderately dependent (BI > 50 to 75), or severely dependent (BI ≤ 50). Muscle strength was assessed using the Medical Research Council scale (MRC; scores range from zero to 60, with higher scores indicating greater strength).(2323 Kleyweg RP, van der Meché FG, Schmitz PI. Interobserver agreement in the assessment of muscle strength and functional abilities in Guillain-Barré syndrome. Muscle Nerve. 1991;14(11):1103-9.) Muscle weakness was defined as an MRC score < 48. Frailty was assessed using the modified frailty index (MFI, scores range from zero to 11, with higher scores indicating higher frailty).(2424 Velanovich V, Antoine H, Swartz A, Peters D, Rubinfeld I. Accumulating deficits model of frailty and postoperative mortality and morbidity: its application to a national database. J Surg Res. 2013;183(1):104-10.) Cognition was assessed using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE, scores range from zero to 30, with higher scores indicating better cognition).(2525 Folstein MF, Folstein SE, McHugh PR. "Mini-mental state". A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. J Psychiatr Res. 1975;12(3):189-98.) Resilience was assessed using the Connor-Davidson resilience scale (scores range from zero to one hundred, with higher scores reflecting higher resilience).(2626 Connor KM, Davidson JR. Development of a new resilience scale: the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC). Depress Anxiety. 2003;18(2):76-82.) Anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS, scores on anxiety and depression scales range from zero to 21, with higher scores indicating worse symptoms).(2727 Zigmond AS, Snaith RP. The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1983;67(6):361-70.) A cutoff > 7 for the HADS anxiety and depression subscales was used to define possible anxiety and depression. Symptoms of PTSD were assessed using the Impact Event Scale-6 (IES-6, scores range from zero to 24, with higher scores indicating worse symptoms);(2828 Thoresen S, Tambs K, Hussain A, Heir T, Johansen VA, Bisson JI. Brief measure of posttraumatic stress reactions: impact of Event Scale-6. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol. 2010;45(3):405-12.) a cut off > 10 was used to define possible PTSD.

6-Minute Walk Test

The 6MWT was supervised by ratters not associated with care in accordance with international guidelines(2929 ATS Committee on Proficiency Standards for Clinical Pulmonary Function Laboratories. ATS statement: guidelines for the six-minute walk test. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002;166(1):111-7.) as part of the baseline post-ICU follow-up assessment (4 months after ICU discharge). Subjects were instructed to walk along a 30-meter corridor for 6 minutes and received encouragement during the test.

Outcome

The main outcome was the variation in physical functional status based on the BI(2222 Mahoney FI, Barthel DW. Functional evaluation: the Barthel Index. Md State Med J. 1965;14:61-5.) over the eight-month follow-up period (BI score at 8 months minus BI score at baseline). Subjects with BI variation ≥ +5 points were classified as having improved their physical functional status. Subjects who died during the follow-up were classified as not having improved their physical functional status. Investigators not associated with care and blinded to baseline variables performed both BI evaluations using structured telephone interviews.(3030 Robinson CC, Rosa RG, Kochhann R, Schneider D, Sganzerla D, Dietrich C, et al. Quality of life after intensive care unit: a multicenter cohort study protocol for assessment of long-term outcomes among intensive care survivors in Brazil. Rev Bras Ter Intensiva. 2018;30(4):405-13.)

Statistical analysis

Continuous variables are expressed as the median and interquartile range (IQR). Categorical variables are expressed as counts and percentages. The paired sample t-test or the Wilcoxon sign rank-test were used to compare 6MWT distances completed by study participants with expected values for heathy individuals (adjusted by gender, age, and body mass index - BMI),(3131 Britto RR, Probst VS, de Andrade AF, Samora GA, Hernandes NA, Marinho PE, et al. Reference equations for the six-minute walk distance based on a Brazilian multicenter study. Braz J Phys Ther. 2013;17(6):556-63) COPD subjects,(3232 Rodrigues A, Camillo CA, Furlanetto KC, Paes T, Morita AA, Spositon T, et al. Cluster analysis identifying patients with COPD at high risk of 2-year all-cause mortality. Chron Respir Dis. 2019;16:1479972318809452.) and heart failure subjects.(3333 Oliveira MF, Zanussi G, Sprovieri B, Lobo DM, Mastrocolla LE, Umeda II, et al. Alternatives to aerobic exercise prescription in patients with chronic heart failure. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2016;106(2):97-104.) Stepwise multivariate linear regression was used to assess factors associated with the distance walked in the 6MWT. All variables with a p < 0.20 in the univariate analysis were included in the multivariate model using the forward selection procedure with stopping rules based on a cutoff of 0.05 for p-values. The association between the distance walked in the 6MWT and improvement in physical functional status over time was assessed through logistic regression. The accuracy of the 6MWT in predicting improvement in physical functional status was evaluated using actual and estimated values for the area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (AUROC). An AUROC greater than 0.8 indicated good prediction performance, whereas an AUROC between 0.6 - 0.8 and lower than 0.6 indicated moderate and poor prediction performance, respectively. The significance level adopted was 5%. All analyses were performed with R software (R Development Core Team).(3434 The R Project for Statistical Computing. R: A language and environment for statistical computing 2016. R Development Core Team; 2016. [cited 2019 Mar 11]. Available from https://www.R-project.org/
https://www.R-project.org/...
)

RESULTS

Study population characteristics

From February 2017 to August 2018, 311 subjects were screened (Figure 1). Of these, 64 were assessed for eligibility. Eventually, 32 subjects were able to perform the 6MWT and were enrolled in the study. Of these subjects, 30 completed the protocol (one patient died, and one patient was lost to follow-up before the eight-month evaluation). Table 1 summarizes the characteristics of the study population. The median age was 58.5 years (IQR 37.5 - 67.5), and 56.2% of participants were women. Median education attainment was 11.0 years (IQR 9.8 - 16.0). Regarding critical illness, 71.9% of subjects were admitted to the ICU due to medical reasons and 22.1% due to surgery. The median risk of death at ICU admission was 18.6% (IQR 11.3 - 35.7). Sepsis or septic shock was present in 40.6% of subjects at the moment of ICU admission. The median number of organ dysfunctions during the ICU stay was 1.0 (IQR 0 - 2.3), and the median length of ICU stay was 7 days (IQR 4.0 - 11.0). At the moment of post-ICU outpatient assessment, 34.3% were functionally independent, 31.2% had high comorbidity, 77.4% had muscle weakness, 32.3% had possible anxiety, 16.1% had possible depression, and 22.6% had possible PTSD. The median MFI, MMSE, and Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale scores were 2.0 (IQR 0 - 3), 26.0 (IQR 23.0 - 29.0), and 81.0 (IQR 70.0 - 87.0), respectively.

Figure 1
Participant flow diagram.

ICU - intensive care unit; 6MWT - 6-Minute Walk Test.


Table 1
Patient characteristics

Results of the 6-Minute Walk Test

Data regarding the distance walked in the 6MWT and the comparison across distinct populations are shown in figure 2. The mean distance walked was 405m (standard deviation of 135.9m). The mean 6MWT distance of ICU survivors was significantly lower than the predicted values for a healthy population considering sex, age, and BMI (405m versus 557m; p < 0.001). Intensive care unit subjects also walked lower distances than COPD subjects classified as Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage ≥ II (median 455m versus 477m; p < 0.001) and heart failure subjects classified as New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II (mean 405m versus 456m; p = 0.02).

Figure 2
Distance walked in the 6-Minute Walk Test by intensive care unit survivors. (A) Summary of the distance walked in the 6-Minute Walk Test by intensive care unit survivors (box plot) compared with healthy individuals (blue dashed line), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients (green dashed line), and heart failure patients (red dashed line). (B) The sorted observations of the 6-Minute Walk Test distance among study subjects.

* According to Britto et al.;(3131 Britto RR, Probst VS, de Andrade AF, Samora GA, Hernandes NA, Marinho PE, et al. Reference equations for the six-minute walk distance based on a Brazilian multicenter study. Braz J Phys Ther. 2013;17(6):556-63) † according to Rodrigues et al.;(3232 Rodrigues A, Camillo CA, Furlanetto KC, Paes T, Morita AA, Spositon T, et al. Cluster analysis identifying patients with COPD at high risk of 2-year all-cause mortality. Chron Respir Dis. 2019;16:1479972318809452.) ‡ according to Oliveira et al.(3333 Oliveira MF, Zanussi G, Sprovieri B, Lobo DM, Mastrocolla LE, Umeda II, et al. Alternatives to aerobic exercise prescription in patients with chronic heart failure. Arq Bras Cardiol. 2016;106(2):97-104.)

COPD - chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; GOLD - Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; NYHA - New York Heart Association.


Factors associated with 6-Minute Walk Test distance

Univariate and multivariate analyses of factors associated with distance walked in the 6MWT are shown in table 2. Upon multivariate analysis, older age (b-4.0; p < 0.001) and muscle weakness (b-99.7; p = 0.02) were independently associated with lower 6MWT distances.

Table 2
Factors associated with the distance covered in the six-minute walk test

Association between 6-Minute Walk Test distance and improvement in physical functional status

Eighteen subjects (58.0%) had their physical functional status improved during the follow-up period. The mean 6MWT distance covered by subjects with improved physical functional status was significantly higher than that of subjects whose functional status did not improve (451m versus 340m; p = 0.03). The odds ratio of each additional 10m of walking in the 6MWT for improvement of physical functional status was 1.07 (95% confidence interval - 95%CI 1.01 - 1.16). The analysis of the AUROC for the prediction of improvement in physical functional status showed moderate predictive accuracy for the 6MWT (AUROC 0.72; 95%CI 0.53 - 0.88) (Figure 3).

Figure 3
Actual and predicted area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve for the ability of the 6-Minute Walk Test to predict improvement in physical functional status over time. (A) The actual area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic (95% confidence interval). (B) The predicted area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic for the ability of the 6-Minute Walk Test to predict improvement in physical functional status over time.

AUROC - area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve.


DISCUSSION

In this prospective cohort study involving ICU survivors attending a post-ICU outpatient clinic four months after ICU discharge, the 6MWT was able to predict long-term physical improvement with moderate accuracy. Additionally, we found that older age and muscle weakness were associated with lower distances covered in the 6MWT four months after ICU discharge.

Nearly two-thirds of ICU survivors are affected by physical dysfunction, which is typically long lasting and associated with a reduced quality of life.(3535 Herridge MS, Cheung AM, Tansey CM, Matte-Martyn A, Diaz-Granados N, Al-Saidi F, Cooper AB, Guest CB, Mazer CD, Mehta S, Stewart TE, Barr A, Cook D, Slutsky AS; Canadian Critical Care Trials Group. One-year outcomes in survivors of the acute respiratory distress syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2003;348(8):683-93.

36 Fan E, Dowdy DW, Colantuoni E, Mendez-Tellez PA, Sevransky JE, Shanholtz C, et al. Physical complications in acute lung injury survivors: a two-year longitudinal prospective study. Crit Care Med. 2014;42(4):849-59.
-3737 Bienvenu OJ, Colantuoni E, Mendez-Tellez PA, Dinglas VD, Shanholtz C, Husain N, et al. Depressive symptoms and impaired physical function after acute lung injury: a 2-year longitudinal study. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2012;185(5):517-24.) Common causes of physical disability among ICU survivors include loss of muscle mass, joint dysfunction, chronic pain, and reduced tolerance to exercise, which are potentially treatable conditions. Our findings are consistent with previous studies demonstrating the low exercise capacity of ICU survivors as measured by the 6MWT.(1313 Herridge MS, Tansey CM, Matté A, Tomlinson G, Diaz-Granados N, Cooper A, Guest CB, Mazer CD, Mehta S, Stewart TE, Kudlow P, Cook D, Slutsky AS, Cheung AM; Canadian Critical Care Trials Group. Functional disability 5 years after acute respiratory distress syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2011;364(14):1293-304.

14 Elliott D, McKinley S, Alison J, Aitken LM, King M, Leslie GD, et al. Health-related quality of life and physical recovery after a critical illness: a multi-centre randomised controlled trial of a home-based physical rehabilitation program. Crit Care. 2011;15(3):R142.

15 Haines KJ, Berney S, Warrillow S, Denehy L. Long-term recovery following critical illness in an Australian cohort. J Intensive Care. 2018;6:8.
-1616 Chen YC, Chen KC, Lu LH, Wu YL, Lai TJ, Wang CH. Validating the 6-minute walk test as an indicator of recovery in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a prospective cohort study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(42):e12925.,3535 Herridge MS, Cheung AM, Tansey CM, Matte-Martyn A, Diaz-Granados N, Al-Saidi F, Cooper AB, Guest CB, Mazer CD, Mehta S, Stewart TE, Barr A, Cook D, Slutsky AS; Canadian Critical Care Trials Group. One-year outcomes in survivors of the acute respiratory distress syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2003;348(8):683-93.,3636 Fan E, Dowdy DW, Colantuoni E, Mendez-Tellez PA, Sevransky JE, Shanholtz C, et al. Physical complications in acute lung injury survivors: a two-year longitudinal prospective study. Crit Care Med. 2014;42(4):849-59.) Notably, in our study, the mean distance walked in the 6MWT by ICU survivors was significantly lower than that covered by healthy individuals and subjects with chronic diseases that impact quality of life (i.e., COPD and heart failure).(3838 Ferrer M, Alonso J, Morera J, Marrades RM, Khalaf A, Aguar MC, et al. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease stage and health-related quality of life. The Quality of Life of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Study Group. Ann Intern Med. 1997;127(12):1072-9.,3939 Juenger J, Schellberg D, Kraemer S, Haunstetter A, Zugck C, Herzog W, et al. Health related quality of life in patients with congestive heart failure: comparison with other chronic diseases and relation to functional variables. Heart. 2002;87(3):235-41.) In ICU survivors, the 6MWT is usually employed as a tool to determine physical disability rather than as a prognostic marker of physical improvement over time.(1313 Herridge MS, Tansey CM, Matté A, Tomlinson G, Diaz-Granados N, Cooper A, Guest CB, Mazer CD, Mehta S, Stewart TE, Kudlow P, Cook D, Slutsky AS, Cheung AM; Canadian Critical Care Trials Group. Functional disability 5 years after acute respiratory distress syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2011;364(14):1293-304.

14 Elliott D, McKinley S, Alison J, Aitken LM, King M, Leslie GD, et al. Health-related quality of life and physical recovery after a critical illness: a multi-centre randomised controlled trial of a home-based physical rehabilitation program. Crit Care. 2011;15(3):R142.

15 Haines KJ, Berney S, Warrillow S, Denehy L. Long-term recovery following critical illness in an Australian cohort. J Intensive Care. 2018;6:8.
-1616 Chen YC, Chen KC, Lu LH, Wu YL, Lai TJ, Wang CH. Validating the 6-minute walk test as an indicator of recovery in patients undergoing cardiac surgery: a prospective cohort study. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018;97(42):e12925.,3535 Herridge MS, Cheung AM, Tansey CM, Matte-Martyn A, Diaz-Granados N, Al-Saidi F, Cooper AB, Guest CB, Mazer CD, Mehta S, Stewart TE, Barr A, Cook D, Slutsky AS; Canadian Critical Care Trials Group. One-year outcomes in survivors of the acute respiratory distress syndrome. N Engl J Med. 2003;348(8):683-93.,3636 Fan E, Dowdy DW, Colantuoni E, Mendez-Tellez PA, Sevransky JE, Shanholtz C, et al. Physical complications in acute lung injury survivors: a two-year longitudinal prospective study. Crit Care Med. 2014;42(4):849-59.) In our study, the distance walked in the 6MWT showed promising results as a predictor of improvement in physical function over an eight-month period. Additionally, we found that older age and muscle weakness were associated with lower distances covered in the 6MWT four months after ICU discharge. Age is associated with frailty, comorbidities, and muscle function impairment-the main factors related to reduced walking ability. These results have clinical applicability, given the increasing interest in assessing physical disability in post-ICU care(4040 Bakhru RN, Davidson JF, Bookstaver RE, Kenes MT, Welborn KG, Morris PE, et al. Physical function impairment in survivors of critical illness in an ICU Recovery Clinic. J Crit Care. 2018;45:163-9.) and the need to improve long-term outcomes of survivors of critical illness.(11 Prescott HC, Angus DC. Enhancing recovery from sepsis: a review. JAMA. 2018;319(1):62-75.

2 Azoulay E, Vincent JL, Angus DC, Arabi YM, Brochard L, Brett SJ, et al. Recovery after critical illness: putting the puzzle together-a consensus of 29. Crit Care. 2017;21(1):296.
-33 Rosa RG, Kochhann R, Berto P, Biason L, Maccari JG, De Leon P, et al. More than the tip of the iceberg: association between disabilities and inability to attend a clinic-based post-ICU follow-up and how it may impact on health inequalities. Intensive Care Med. 2018;44(8):1352-4.,4141 Teixeira C, Rosa RG. Post-intensive care outpatient clinic: is it feasible and effective? A literature review. Rev Bras Ter Intensiva. 2018;30(1):98-111.) The efficacy of the current post-ICU follow-up models for the improvement of physical disability has been questioned,(4242 Rosa RG, Ferreira GE, Viola TW, Robinson CC, Kochhann R, Berto PP, et al. Effects of post-ICU follow-up on subject outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Crit Care. 2019;52:115-25.,4343 Jensen JF, Thomsen T, Overgaard D, Bestle MH, Christensen D, Egerod I. Impact of follow-up consultations for ICU survivors on post-ICU syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Intensive Care Med. 2015;41(5):763-75.) and the use of personalized rehabilitation strategies based on individual risk factors for long-term physical disability has been proposed as a promising approach for ICU survivors.(11 Prescott HC, Angus DC. Enhancing recovery from sepsis: a review. JAMA. 2018;319(1):62-75.

2 Azoulay E, Vincent JL, Angus DC, Arabi YM, Brochard L, Brett SJ, et al. Recovery after critical illness: putting the puzzle together-a consensus of 29. Crit Care. 2017;21(1):296.
-33 Rosa RG, Kochhann R, Berto P, Biason L, Maccari JG, De Leon P, et al. More than the tip of the iceberg: association between disabilities and inability to attend a clinic-based post-ICU follow-up and how it may impact on health inequalities. Intensive Care Med. 2018;44(8):1352-4.,4242 Rosa RG, Ferreira GE, Viola TW, Robinson CC, Kochhann R, Berto PP, et al. Effects of post-ICU follow-up on subject outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Crit Care. 2019;52:115-25.) In this sense, the use of prognostic tools may contribute to a more efficient allocation of resources aimed at rehabilitating subjects who would benefit the most from this kind of intervention.

The strengths of our study include its prospective design, the start of follow-up after ICU discharge, during routine outpatient rehabilitation care, and the focus on the predictive accuracy of the 6MWT for long-term physical functional status improvement. Nevertheless, some limitations must be considered. First, our sample was small and, therefore, may not be representative of all ICU survivors, given the peculiarities of ICU subjects in specific contexts, such as trauma, surgery, and sepsis. Second, our study is susceptible to biases inherent to observational studies (i.e., confounding and selection and assessment bias). However, the possibility of systematic errors was minimized by adequate measurement of variables and outcomes with previously defined objective criteria, the use of standardized data collection, and follow-up performed by a research team that was not involved in patient care.

CONCLUSION

The distance covered in the 6-Minute Walk Test appears useful for assessing the long-term physical functional status recovery among intensive care unit survivors.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The present study was funded by the Brazilian Ministry of Health through the Brazilian Unified Health System Institutional Development Program (PROADI-SUS). The funding agency had no role in the execution of the study; in the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; or in the preparation of the manuscript.

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Edited by

Responsible editor: Viviane Cordeiro Veiga

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    25 Oct 2021
  • Date of issue
    2021

History

  • Received
    11 Sept 2020
  • Accepted
    22 Nov 2020
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