International journal of rehabilitation research. Internationale Zeitschrift für Rehabilitationsforschung. Revue internationale de recherches de réadaptation
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The aim of this study was to assess the effect of physiotherapy on ventilator dependency and lengths of intensive care unit (ICU) stay. Patients were divided into two groups. The control group, which received standard nursing care, was a retrospective chart review. ⋯ It was noted that the resulting length of stay in the ICU was significantly lower in the intervention group than in the control group (P<0.05). Although the patients had similar diagnoses and physical features, the length of stay in the ICU was significantly lower in the intervention group. The results show that physiotherapy has a great impact on ventilatory dependency and length of stay in the ICU.