Critical Illness Weakness Outside the Intensive Care Unit.

When people become seriously ill, their bodies can be affected in many ways beyond the original disease. One well-known complication in patients treated in intensive care units (ICUs) is the development of severe muscle weakness caused by damage to muscles and nerves. This condition is called critical illness-related weakness and includes disorders of the nerves (neuropathy), the muscles (myopathy), or both. These problems can make it difficult for patients to move, walk, or even breathe independently, and recovery can take months or longer. So far, most research on this type of weakness has focused on patients who were treated in ICUs. However, many hospitalized patients outside the ICU-such as those admitted to internal medicine wards or semi-intensive care units-can also experience severe infections, organ failure, inflammation, prolonged bed rest, and metabolic stress. These are the