Introduction:

Intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICUAW) affects the muscles of the limbs and diaphragm; and is associated with negative outcome variables. The purpose of this study was to describe the epidemiological characteristics and incidence of ICUAW in adults requiring invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) for more than 72 hours in a General Hospital for Acute Diseases in the City of Buenos Aires.

Method:

Retrospective cohort study. We included adult patients requiring IMV for more than 72 hours in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The main recorded variables of interest were:

incidence of ICUAW, days of IMV, length of stay and mortality both in the ICU and in the hospital.

Results:

262 patients were included in the study; 87 of them (33.21%) developed weakness. No statistically significant differences were established between patients with and without ICUAW regarding the variables of age, reason for admission to IMV, medical history and mortality both in the ICU and the hospital. In this study, the variables established as independent risk factors were: female gender (OR: 1,98; 95% CI: 1.02-3.81), delirium (OR 8.4; 95% CI: 4.38-16.11) and days of IMV (OR: 1.05; 95% CI: 1.02-1.08).

Conclusions:

This study allowed us to know the incidence and epidemiological characteristics of patients with ICUAW in an ICU of the public health system of Argentina. It was observed that female gender, days of IMV and delirium at the ICU were independent risk factors for ICUAW.