Overview
This study aims to investigate how sepsis and critical illness can impair the cardiovascular system and microcirculation in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, which can lead to long-lasting muscle weakness/dysfunction or ICU-Acquired Weakness (ICU-AW) and exercise limitations.
Description
This longitudinal study will assess cardiovascular fitness and microvascular function through two (2) follow-ups after ICU discharge: at (i) 6 months, and (ii) 12 months. The goal is to understand how microvascular dysfunction contributes to ICU-AW and long-term exercise limitation in ICU survivors.
Specific goals are:
- Evaluate peak oxygen uptake and oxygen on/off kinetics in ICU survivors using a standardized cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) protocol.
- Characterize skeletal muscle microvascular function in ICU survivors using high-resolution NIRS during CPET protocol.
- Determine the association between impairments in skeletal muscle microvascular oxygen delivery and cardiovascular blood flow regulation in ICU survivors.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients who have received mechanical ventilation for at least 7 days in the intensive care unit (ICU) and have subsequently been discharged from hospital.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Unable to provide consent
- Trajectory of health expected to be significantly limited in the upcoming 12 months
- those who self-report that they cannot climb at least one flight of stairs due to limited exercise capacity
- have significant orthopedic or musculoskeletal impairment affecting mobility
- have a medical history of neuromuscular disease
- ongoing respiratory limitations (i.e., supplemental oxygen)
- significant heart disease (i.e. ejection fraction less than 30%, unstable ischemic heart disease, severe valvular heart disease)
- a body mass index (BMI) of ≥ 40 kg/m2 (impacting NIRS signal due to adipose tissue thickness)
- if participant's primary residence is a significant distance from Winnipeg
