Recovery From ICUAW Following Severe Respiratory and Cardiac Failure

When people are very seriously ill and need to be in intensive care, especially if they have severe heart and lung failure requiring a special machine called ECMO (Extra-Corporeal Membrane Oxygenation) to help them breathe and circulate blood, they can sometimes develop a condition called 'ICU-acquired weakness' (ICUAW). This weakness isn't just from staying in bed; it's a specific problem where muscles and nerves can stop working as well. While we know it's a significant issue that can make recovery much harder, we don't fully understand why it happens in some people more than others, or how much it impacts their ability to get back to normal life.

This study, called CLEVERER, is an observational pilot study. This means we will be carefully watching and collecting information from patients who have experienced very severe heart and lung failure and needed ECMO. We want to identify specific things that might lead to this weakness and, importantly, see how it affects their daily physical activities and their overall quality of life once they're out of intensive care. For example, previous research has shown that even after less complicated surgeries, patients can lose significant muscle mass, which suggests it's not just about lying still.

By observing patients in a real-life setting, especially those with such severe conditions, we hope to gain a better understanding of ICUAW. This knowledge is crucial because this weakness can have a big impact on a patient's recovery, how long they stay in hospital, and how well they can live their lives afterwards. We also want to understand the link between having severe heart and lung failure and how well patients do in their recovery, including their ability to function physically and their general well-being.