• Nobuto Nakanishi, Shodai Yoshihiro, Yusuke Kawamura, Gen Aikawa, Haruka Shida, Motohiro Shimizu, Yoshihisa Fujinami, Ayaka Matsuoka, Shinichi Watanabe, Shunsuke Taito, and Shigeaki Inoue.
• Department of Disaster and Emergency Medicine, Kobe University, Hyogo, Japan.
• Crit. Care Med. 2023 Oct 1; 51 (10): 138613961386-1396.

ObjectivesNeuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is used in the rehabilitation of patients with critical illness. However, it is unclear whether NMES prevents ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW). For this purpose, we conducted an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.Data SourcesWe searched the MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Igaku Chuo Zasshi databases from April 2019 to November 2022 to identify new randomized controlled trials to the previous meta-analysis.Study SelectionWe systematically searched the literature for all randomized controlled trials on the effect of NMES in patients with critical illness.Data ExtractionTwo authors independently selected the studies and extracted data. They calculated the pooled effect estimates associated with the occurrence of ICU-AW and adverse events as primary outcomes and muscle mass change, muscle strength, length of ICU stay, mortality, and quality of life as secondary outcomes. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation approach.Data SynthesisOverall, eight studies were added to the previous 10 studies. Evidence suggests that the use of NMES reduces the occurrence of ICU-AW (six trials; risk ratio [RR], 0.48; 95% CI, 0.32-0.72); however, NMES may have little to no effect on pricking sensation in patients (eight trials; RR, 6.87; 95% CI, 0.84-56.50). NMES is likely to reduce the change in muscle mass (four trials; mean difference, -10.01; 95% CI, -15.54 to -4.48) and may increase muscle strength (six trials; standardized mean difference, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.19-0.68). Further, NMES may result in little to no difference in the length of ICU stay, and the evidence is uncertain about the effect on mortality and quality of life.ConclusionsThis updated meta-analysis revealed that the use of NMES may result in a lower occurrence of ICU-AW in patients with critical illness, but its use may have little to no effect on pricking sensation in patients.Copyright © 2023 by the Society of Critical Care Medicine and Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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