Normative Values for Peripheral Muscle Strength in Critical Patients and Healthy Individuals

Muscle strength is an important indicator of overall health and is a factor that has been associated with increased mortality in critical patients. Its measurement must be reliable and reproducible to ensure a quality outcome for clinical applicability. Recently, the use of digital handheld dynamometers in intensive care has gained support; however, analysis becomes challenging due to the absence of standardized reference equations for the Brazilian population. The aim of this study is to develop reference equations for the Brazilian population and define specific cutoff points for men, women, healthy individuals, and critical patients.