Evaluation of Peripheral Muscle With Ultrassonografic of Critical Patients With Covid-19

Currently, the tools available for assessing peripheral muscle dysfunction in the intensive care setting require patient collaboration. Several studies have shown that peripheral muscle ultrasound is capable of reliably detecting morphological changes in critically ill patients, in addition to contributing to the identification of patients at higher risk of prolonged complications, especially when performed daily. In this sense, a valid, non-volitional alternative capable of determining muscle mass is through ultrasound assessment. However, current studies are characterized by a lack of standardization in their protocols, which include proper positioning of limbs, transducer, clear reference points and techniques for better visualization of the assessed muscle, in addition to significant methodological defects and inadequate sample sizes. We believe that, together with a tool capable of determining muscle mass and being a safe and non-invasive method, we can contribute to a more complete assessment of these patients, exploring outcomes such as survival, length of stay in the ICU, extubation success and functional capacity. In addition to having the potential to serve as a biomarker of muscle strength during rehabilitation, given little knowledge about the long-term physical consequences of COVID-19, thus promoting a more complete assessment, exploring morphological characteristics of the peripheral muscles resulting from the hospitalization process. and assisting the physiotherapist in clinical decision making in rehabilitation.