High protein intake and physical exercise during critical illness to maintain muscle mass in ICU patient

Abstract

Throughout periods of critical illness, the breakdown of proteins exceeds the body's ability to build new proteins, resulting in a negative net protein synthesis. The impact of protein dosage on critically ill individuals is of great interest, since it is believed to enhance clinical outcomes by reducing protein loss throughout critical illness and aiding in the recovery of patients throughout later stages. Early protocolized physical therapy, along with high protein nutritional supplementation in critically illness, individuals on mechanical ventilation attenuated the decrease in the cross-sectional area and rectus femoris muscle thickness and enhance clinical outcomes (minimize delirium, days of ventilation, and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS)) contrasted to usual care.