Study Examines the Feasibility, Safety and Benefits of Using a Specific Suspension Walking Device for Patients With Neurological Damage

Background. Current literature and National guidelines recommend early mobilization in Intensive Care Units (ICU), including verticalization and walking. Verticalization for neurologic patients in ICU is challenging because of neurological impairments, risks of falls and of clinical worsening. In the neuroICU of Montpellier university hospital, France, a weight suspension system (LiteGait®) is used for gait training.

Objectives. To study the feasibility, safety and benefits of walking with the weight suspension system in a neuroICU. Feasibility involves the proportion of patients who benefited from suspension walking, reasons for not using it, physiotherapists' time required. Safety involves rate and causes of adverse events, changes in vital parameters and in pain. Benefits of suspension walking involves difference between delay for first suspension walking session and first walking session without suspension.

Design. Monocentric, descriptive study, using retrospective analyzes of prospectively-collected data during standard clinical and rehabilitation management in the neuroICU. It includes all adult neurological patients hospitalized for > 48 hours in the unit and requiring mechanical ventilation from January 2018 to January 2019. Exclusion criteria are death before sedation weaning; therapeutic limitation; complete spinal cord injury.

The study sample is divided into two groups: beneficiaries of suspension walking during the ICU stay, and non-beneficiaries. Criteria for using suspension walking used in standard practice in the unit are respiratory stability without mechanical ventilation (tracheostomy and/or oxygen therapy possible), hemodynamic and neurologic stability, sufficient respond to command (head control, ability to sit with aid, testing of one quadriceps > 3 or two quadriceps > 2).

Data collected include clinical description of patients upon ICU admission, duration of sedation, ventilation, hospitalization, and delay before first sitting on a chair, first walking without suspension. For beneficiaries of suspension walking, clinical status before session (pain, MRC testing, sitting balance, RASS, hemodynamic and respiratory parameters, medical equipment) and after session (pain, hemodynamic and respiratory parameters) are collected, as well as description of adverse events and consequences. For non-beneficiaries, reasons for not using suspension walking are collected.

Analyses will be mainly descriptive. Characteristics of beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries of suspension walking will be described and compared. Description of suspensi