Efficacy of electrical muscle stimulation on preserving the muscle mass of critically ill patients

Critically ill patients are characterized by increased loss of muscle mass, partially attributed to sepsis and multiple organ failure, as well as immobilization. Recent studies have shown that electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) may be an alternative to active exercise in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and chronic heart failure patients with myopathy. The role of EMS for the preservation of muscle mass of critically ill patients has not been studied. The aim of our study was to investigate the EMS effects on muscle mass preservation of critically ill patients with the use of ultrasonography (US).