Physical Function Assessment Tools in the Intensive Care Unit: A narrative review

Prolonged immobilization and bed rest in critically ill patients leads to loss of physical functional ability. Therefore, assessment of physical functional ability during intensive care unit (ICU) stay and at discharge plays a central role in planning early intervention and insti-tuting rehabilitation measures to improve physical function outcomes. Various scales have been developed, modified, and applied to assess functional ability, impairments, and disabilities in ICU patients. The selection of the most appropriate assessment scale depends on the specific patient population, the diagnosis, the phase of rehabilitation and the psychometric properties of the measurement tool. This narrative review aims to describe the various physical function assessment tools applicable to patients in the ICU, to determine the psychometric evidence for reliability and validity, and to summarize the strengths and weaknesses of each of these scales in order to enable clinicians to make an informed choice while selecting outcome variables during rehabilitation of patients in the critical care unit. Copyright © 2022 by Begell House, Inc.