Early mobilization in victims of traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Introduction: Several studies have shown that early mobilization is safe and beneficial for patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs), especially for those with mechanical ventilation (MV). Objective: To investigate the benefits of early mobilization physiotherapeutic techniques applied to patients who suffered craniocerebral trauma (CCT). Methods: This is an experimental study that evaluated clinical data from 27 patients. In sedated patients, mobilization and passive stretching were performed on the upper and lower limbs; in those without sedation, active-assisted, free and resisted exercises were included. Results: The experimental group was composed of 51.8% of the participants and the control group by 48.2%, the majority being male (81.5%) with a median age of 43 years. The patients in the experimental group had an average of 9.5 days (2.2-14.7) of mechanical ventilation (MV), and those belonging to the control group, of 17 days (7-21.7) with MV (p=0.154). The patients in the experimental group had an average of 13.5 days in the ICU, against an average of 17 days in the control group (p=0.331), and an average of 20.5 days in hospital against 24 days in the control group (p=0.356). Conclusion: Early mobilization should be applied to critically ill patients as it can decrease the length of stay in the ICU and the hospital.