Quadriceps muscle size and composition in intensive care patients
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Measuring quadriceps muscle size and composition in intensive care patients using ultrasound imaging and localised bioelectrical impedance analysis: a feasibility and reliability study.
IRAS ID
195845
Contact name
Nikki Collings
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 2 months, 28 days
Research summary
We would like to investigate if rehabilitative muscle ultrasound imaging and bioelectrical impedance can feasibly and reliably measure muscle size and composition of the quadriceps muscle in intensive care patients. This study will be supported by the NIHR Biomedical Research Unit at the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.
Following admission to intensive care, patients are often immobilised and sedated to reduce stress and oxygen consumption. During this period they quickly lose muscle mass, often requiring the help of physiotherapists in the first stages of their recovery. Muscle ultrasound imaging and bioelectrical impedance are assessment techniques that are simple, non-invasive and do not rely on patient participation, so can be used to measure day-to-day changes in muscle over the intensive care stay. Direct measurements of the quadriceps muscle size can be made from ultrasound images and bioimpedance data can indicate composition of the thigh compartment, indicating fat, water and muscle content.
It is important to know how reliable the researcher is at taking repeated ultrasound scans and bioimpedance readings, and how the results compare to that taken by other researchers. A group of 20 volunteers will be recruited from hospital staff, asked to make two visits to the hospital research facility, a week apart. Repeated measurements will be taken by the same researcher and the results compared. A group of 20 intensive care patients requiring mechanical ventilation will be recruited from the general intensive care unit at the hospital. The assessment protocol will be completed by two researchers of the first day of admission and the results compared. The main researcher will then continue to make a single daily assessment until the patient is discharged from intensive care. The data collected will provide the basis for a protocol to assess muscle wasting in intensive care patients in future trials.
REC name
London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/0370
Date of REC Opinion
20 Jul 2016
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion