I SURVIVE: inter-rater reliability of three physical functional outcome measures in intensive care unit survivors

Early In-Bed Cycle Ergometry With Critically Ill, Mechanically Ventilated Patients: Statistical Analysis Plan for CYCLE (Critical Care Cycling to Improve Lower Extremity Strength), an International, Multicenter, Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND

Survivors of critical illness are at risk of developing physical dysfunction following intensive care unit (ICU) discharge. ICU-based rehabilitation interventions, such as early in-bed cycle ergometry, may improve patients' short-term physical function.

OBJECTIVE

Before unblinding and trial database lock, we describe a prespecified statistical analysis plan (SAP) for the CYCLE (Critical Care Cycling to Improve Lower Extremity Strength) randomized controlled trial (RCT).

METHODS

CYCLE is a 360-patient, international, multicenter, open-label, parallel-group RCT (1:1 ratio) with blinded primary outcome assessment at 3 days post-ICU discharge. The principal investigator and statisticians of CYCLE prepared this SAP with approval from the steering committee and coinvestigators. The SAP defines the primary and secondary outcomes (including adverse events) and describes the planned primary, secondary, and subgroup analyses. The primary outcome of the CYCLE trial is the Physical Function Intensive Care Unit Test-scored (PFIT-s) at 3 days post-ICU discharge. The PFIT-s is a reliable and valid performance-based measure. We plan to use a frequentist statistical framework for all analyses. We will conduct a linear regression to evaluate the primary outcome, incorporating randomization as an independent variable and adjusting for age (≥65 years versus <65 years) and center. The regression results will be reported as mean differences in PFIT-s scores with corresponding 95% CIs and P values. We consider a 1-point difference in PFIT-s score to be clinically important. Additionally, we plan to conduct 3 subgroup analyses: age (≥65 years versus <65 years), frailty (Baseline Clinical Frailty Scale ≥5 versus <5), and sex (male versus female).

RESULTS

CYCLE was funded in 2017, and enrollment was completed in May 2023. Data analyses are complete, and the first results were submitted for publication in 2024.

CONCLUSIONS

We developed and present an SAP for the CYCLE RCT and will adhere to it for all analyses. This study will add to the growing body of evidence evaluating the efficacy and safety of ICU-based rehabilitation interventions.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03471247; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03471247 and NCT02377830; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02377830.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID)

RR1-10.2196/54451.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of the clinimetric properties of the core outcome measurement instruments for clinical effectiveness trials of nutritional and metabolic interventions in critical illness (CONCISE)

BACKGROUND

CONCISE is an internationally agreed minimum set of outcomes for use in nutritional and metabolic clinical research in critically ill adults. Clinicians and researchers need to be aware of the clinimetric properties of these instruments and understand any limitations to ensure valid and reliable research. This systematic review and meta-analysis were undertaken to evaluate the clinimetric properties of the measurement instruments identified in CONCISE.

METHODS

Four electronic databases were searched from inception to December 2022 (MEDLINE via Ovid, EMBASE via Ovid, CINAHL via Healthcare Databases Advanced Search, CENTRAL via Cochrane). Studies were included if they examined at least one clinimetric property of a CONCISE measurement instrument or recognised variation in adults ≥ 18 years with critical illness or recovering from critical illness in any language. The COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) checklist for systematic reviews of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures was used. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses were used in line with COSMIN guidance. The COSMIN checklist was used to evaluate the risk of bias and the quality of clinimetric properties. Overall certainty of the evidence was rated using a modified Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. Narrative synthesis was performed and where possible, meta-analysis was conducted.

RESULTS

A total of 4316 studies were screened. Forty-seven were included in the review, reporting data for 12308 participants. The Short Form-36 Questionnaire (Physical Component Score and Physical Functioning), sit-to-stand test, 6-m walk test and Barthel Index had the strongest clinimetric properties and certainty of evidence. The Short Physical Performance Battery, Katz Index and handgrip strength had less favourable results. There was limited data for Lawson Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition criteria. The risk of bias ranged from inadequate to very good. The certainty of the evidence ranged from very low to high.

CONCLUSIONS

Variable evidence exists to support the clinimetric properties of the CONCISE measurement instruments. We suggest using this review alongside CONCISE to guide outcome selection for future trials of nutrition and metabolic interventions in critical illness.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

PROSPERO (CRD42023438187). Registered 21/06/2023.

The sit-to-stand test as a patient-centered functional outcome for critical care research: a pooled analysis of five international rehabilitation studies

Background

With ICU mortality rates decreasing, it is increasingly important to identify interventions to minimize functional impairments and improve outcomes for survivors. Simultaneously, we must identify robust patient-centered functional outcomes for our trials. Our objective was to investigate the clinimetric properties of a progression of three outcome measures, from strength to function.

Methods

Adults (≥ 18 years) enrolled in five international ICU rehabilitation studies. Participants required ICU admission were mechanically ventilated and previously independent. Outcomes included two components of the Physical Function in ICU Test-scored (PFIT-s): knee extensor strength and assistance required to move from sit to stand (STS); the 30-s STS (30 s STS) test was the third outcome. We analyzed survivors at ICU and hospital discharge. We report participant demographics, baseline characteristics, and outcome data using descriptive statistics. Floor effects represented ≥ 15% of participants with minimum score and ceiling effects ≥ 15% with maximum score. We calculated the overall group difference score (hospital discharge score minus ICU discharge) for participants with paired assessments.

Results

Of 451 participants, most were male (n = 278, 61.6%) with a median age between 60 and 66 years, a mean APACHE II score between 19 and 24, a median duration of mechanical ventilation between 4 and 8 days, ICU length of stay (LOS) between 7 and 11 days, and hospital LOS between 22 and 31 days. For knee extension, we observed a ceiling effect in 48.5% (160/330) of participants at ICU discharge and in 74.7% (115/154) at hospital discharge; the median [1st, 3rd quartile] PFIT-s difference score (n = 139) was 0 [0,1] (p < 0.05). For STS assistance, we observed a ceiling effect in 45.9% (150/327) at ICU discharge and in 77.5% (79/102) at hospital discharge; the median PFIT-s difference score (n = 87) was 1 [0, 2] (p < 0.05). For 30 s STS, we observed a floor effect in 15.0% (12/80) at ICU discharge but did not observe a floor or ceiling effect at hospital discharge. The median 30 s STS difference score (n = 54) was 3 [1, 6] (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Among three progressive outcome measures evaluated in this study, the 30 s STS test appears to have the most favorable clinimetric properties to assess function at ICU and hospital discharge in moderate to severely ill participants.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13054-022-04048-3.