Evidence mapPaperPMID 41642039Full record

Observational studyCritical care medicine2026

Early Measurement of Quadriceps Response to Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation to Identify Future ICU-Acquired Weakness.

Yann Combret, Margaux Machefert, Roger Hilfiker, Guillaume Schnell, Damien Bachasson, Bouchra Lamia, Guillaume Prieur, Clément Medrinal

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Critical care medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Yann CombretPhysiotherapy Department, Le Havre Hospital, Le Havre, France.
Margaux MachefertPhysiotherapy Department, Le Havre Hospital, Le Havre, France.
Roger HilfikerResearch and Independent Studies in Private Physiotherapy, Brig, Switzerland.
Guillaume SchnellIntensive Care Unit, Le Havre Hospital, Le Havre, France.
Damien BachassonSorbonne University, INSERM, UMRS1158, Experimental and Clinical Respiratory Neurophysiology, Paris, France.
Bouchra LamiaUniv Rouen Normandie, Normandie Univ, GRHVN UR 3830, Rouen, France.
Guillaume PrieurPhysiotherapy Department, Le Havre Hospital, Le Havre, France.
Clément MedrinalPhysiotherapy Department, Le Havre Hospital, Le Havre, France.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo evaluate whether early measurement of quadriceps response to neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on mechanically ventilated patients could predict future ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW).

designProspective observational study.

settingLe Havre Hospital medico-surgical ICU. PATIENTS: All mechanically ventilated patients (> 24 hr), with no prospect of extubation in the following 24 hours.

interventionsNone. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN

resultsEighty patients were enrolled in the study. Quadriceps response to NMES was measured using ultrasound and shear wave elastography (SWE) after 24 hours of mechanical ventilation, or on the day of neuromuscular blocker cessation if any (baseline). Stimulation intensity was adjusted to induce a quadriceps contraction causing knee extension (heel lifting). Changes in thickness (ultrasound) and stiffness (SWE) of the quadriceps during NMES were collected. An Medical Research Council sum score less than 48 within 24 hours of extubation diagnosed ICU-acquired weakness. A predictive model A, based on the quadriceps response to NMES at baseline, was compared with a model B, derived from identified risk factors, and a combined model (A + B). Of the 80 individuals, 39 (49%) developed ICU-AW. Time delay between intubation and baseline was 3.0 days, and between baseline and extubation was 7.5 days. Stimulation intensity at baseline showed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.77, with a higher intensity required in individuals who developed ICU-AW (+21.6 mA; p < 0.001). Quadriceps thickness and stiffness during NMES at baseline were 3.83 ± 2.35 cm and 102.76 ± 74.1 kPa, respectively. Model A reached an AUC of 0.87 (95% CI, 0.79-0.95), which was not statistically different from model B. The combined model had the largest AUC (0.94; 95% CI, 0.89-0.99).

conclusionsA model based on the quadriceps response to NMES after 24 hours of mechanical ventilation, or on the day of neuromuscular blocker cessation seems promising to anticipate future ICU-AW.

Indexed as

Electric StimulationIntensive Care UnitsMuscle WeaknessQuadriceps MuscleRespiration, ArtificialAgedElasticity Imaging TechniquesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesUltrasonographyintensive care unit-acquired weaknessneuromuscular electrical stimulationshear wave elastographyultrasonography

Identifiers

PMID41642039
PMCPMC13043228

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.