Safety and feasibility of a neuromuscular electrical stimulation chronaxie-based protocol in critical ill patients: A prospective observational study

International audience; Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and feasibility of a neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) protocol based on neuromuscular excitability and applied in numerous muscle groups of critical ill patients.Materials and methods: We performed a prospective observational study using an NMES applied daily and bilaterally into 5 muscle groups in lower limbs for 3 consecutive days. The characteristics of NMES were 90 contractions per muscle, pulse width equal to chronaxie, and a pulse frequency of 100 Hz. We assessed safety with central venous oxygen saturation, serum lactate, and creatine phosphokinase measurements. To evaluate feasibility, we re…