Evaluating early mobilisation in critically ill COVID-19 patients: Secondary analysis from the ESICM UNITE-COVID-II multicentre observational study

Maximilian Markus; Maximilian Lindholz; Nils Daum; Anne Pohrt; Elie Azoulay; Maurizio Cecconi; Giuseppe Citerio; Thomas De Corte; Frantisek Duska; Laura Galarza; Massimiliano Greco; Armand R.J. Girbes; Jozef Kesecioglu; Johannes Mellinghoff; Marlies Ostermann; Mariangela Pellegrini; Jean-Louis Teboul; Jan J. De Waele; Adrian Wong; Stefan J. Schaller

doi:10.1016/j.accpm.2025.101550

Evaluating early mobilisation in critically ill COVID-19 patients: Secondary analysis from the ESICM UNITE-COVID-II multicentre observational study

Maximilian Markus
, Maximilian Lindholz
, Nils Daum
, Anne Pohrt
, Elie Azoulay
, Maurizio Cecconi
, Giuseppe Citerio
, Thomas De Corte
, Frantisek Duska
, Laura Galarza
, Massimiliano Greco
, Armand R.J. Girbes
, Jozef Kesecioglu
, Johannes Mellinghoff
, Marlies Ostermann
, Mariangela Pellegrini
, Jean-Louis Teboul
, Jan J. De Waele
, Adrian Wong
, Stefan J. Schaller

School of Education, Sport and Health

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Background Early mobilisation (EM) within the first 72 hours of ICU admission is essential for preventing ICU-acquired weakness; however, mobilisation rates remained low among mechanically ventilated (MV) COVID-19 patients during the pandemic waves. This study aimed to characterise the association between EM and 60-day outcomes. Methods A multicentre observational study conducted by the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) examined mobilisation strategies during the second COVID-19 wave (UNITE-COVIDed2021). All patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who were in the ICU on the peak day between 1 January and 1 June 2021 were included. The analysis expanded on the UNITE-COVIDed2020 study, comparing the first and second COVID-19 waves using a combined dataset. Results Data from 2,053 patients during the second wave across 103 ICUs in 35 countries were analysed and compared with 4,190 patients from the first wave. EM was achieved in 801 (39%) vs. 1114 (27%), p

Original language	English
Article number	101550
Number of pages	9
Journal	Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain Medicine
Volume	44
Issue number	4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accpm.2025.101550
Publication status	Published - 17 May 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Author(s)

Keywords

Early mobilisation
COVID-19 patients
Multicentre study
ICUAW
ESICM
UNITE-COVID

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10.1016/j.accpm.2025.101550Licence: CC BY

1-s2.0-S2352556825000827-mainFinal published version, 566 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Markus, M., Lindholz, M., Daum, N., Pohrt, A., Azoulay, E., Cecconi, M., Citerio, G., De Corte, T., Duska, F., Galarza, L., Greco, M., Girbes, A. R. J., Kesecioglu, J., Mellinghoff, J., Ostermann, M., Pellegrini, M., Teboul, J.-L., De Waele, J. J., Wong, A., & Schaller, S. J. (2025). Evaluating early mobilisation in critically ill COVID-19 patients: Secondary analysis from the ESICM UNITE-COVID-II multicentre observational study. Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain Medicine, 44(4), Article 101550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accpm.2025.101550

@article{7d4240af77e34b22ba988a0e7788fc12,

title = "Evaluating early mobilisation in critically ill COVID-19 patients: Secondary analysis from the ESICM UNITE-COVID-II multicentre observational study",

abstract = "Background Early mobilisation (EM) within the first 72 hours of ICU admission is essential for preventing ICU-acquired weakness; however, mobilisation rates remained low among mechanically ventilated (MV) COVID-19 patients during the pandemic waves. This study aimed to characterise the association between EM and 60-day outcomes. Methods A multicentre observational study conducted by the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) examined mobilisation strategies during the second COVID-19 wave (UNITE-COVIDed2021). All patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who were in the ICU on the peak day between 1 January and 1 June 2021 were included. The analysis expanded on the UNITE-COVIDed2020 study, comparing the first and second COVID-19 waves using a combined dataset. Results Data from 2,053 patients during the second wave across 103 ICUs in 35 countries were analysed and compared with 4,190 patients from the first wave. EM was achieved in 801 (39\%) vs. 1114 (27\%), p ",

keywords = "Early mobilisation, COVID-19 patients, Multicentre study, ICUAW, ESICM, UNITE-COVID",

author = "Maximilian Markus and Maximilian Lindholz and Nils Daum and Anne Pohrt and Elie Azoulay and Maurizio Cecconi and Giuseppe Citerio and \{De Corte\}, Thomas and Frantisek Duska and Laura Galarza and Massimiliano Greco and Girbes, \{Armand R.J.\} and Jozef Kesecioglu and Johannes Mellinghoff and Marlies Ostermann and Mariangela Pellegrini and Jean-Louis Teboul and \{De Waele\}, \{Jan J.\} and Adrian Wong and Schaller, \{Stefan J.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Author(s)",

year = "2025",

month = may,

day = "17",

doi = "10.1016/j.accpm.2025.101550",

language = "English",

volume = "44",

number = "4",

}

Markus, M, Lindholz, M, Daum, N, Pohrt, A, Azoulay, E, Cecconi, M, Citerio, G, De Corte, T, Duska, F, Galarza, L, Greco, M, Girbes, ARJ, Kesecioglu, J, Mellinghoff, J, Ostermann, M, Pellegrini, M, Teboul, J-L, De Waele, JJ, Wong, A & Schaller, SJ 2025, 'Evaluating early mobilisation in critically ill COVID-19 patients: Secondary analysis from the ESICM UNITE-COVID-II multicentre observational study', Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain Medicine, vol. 44, no. 4, 101550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accpm.2025.101550

TY - JOUR

T1 - Evaluating early mobilisation in critically ill COVID-19 patients

T2 - Secondary analysis from the ESICM UNITE-COVID-II multicentre observational study

AU - Markus, Maximilian

AU - Lindholz, Maximilian

AU - Daum, Nils

AU - Pohrt, Anne

AU - Azoulay, Elie

AU - Cecconi, Maurizio

AU - Citerio, Giuseppe

AU - De Corte, Thomas

AU - Duska, Frantisek

AU - Galarza, Laura

AU - Greco, Massimiliano

AU - Girbes, Armand R.J.

AU - Kesecioglu, Jozef

AU - Mellinghoff, Johannes

AU - Ostermann, Marlies

AU - Pellegrini, Mariangela

AU - Teboul, Jean-Louis

AU - De Waele, Jan J.

AU - Wong, Adrian

AU - Schaller, Stefan J.

PY - 2025/5/17

Y1 - 2025/5/17

N2 - Background Early mobilisation (EM) within the first 72 hours of ICU admission is essential for preventing ICU-acquired weakness; however, mobilisation rates remained low among mechanically ventilated (MV) COVID-19 patients during the pandemic waves. This study aimed to characterise the association between EM and 60-day outcomes. Methods A multicentre observational study conducted by the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) examined mobilisation strategies during the second COVID-19 wave (UNITE-COVIDed2021). All patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who were in the ICU on the peak day between 1 January and 1 June 2021 were included. The analysis expanded on the UNITE-COVIDed2020 study, comparing the first and second COVID-19 waves using a combined dataset. Results Data from 2,053 patients during the second wave across 103 ICUs in 35 countries were analysed and compared with 4,190 patients from the first wave. EM was achieved in 801 (39%) vs. 1114 (27%), p

AB - Background Early mobilisation (EM) within the first 72 hours of ICU admission is essential for preventing ICU-acquired weakness; however, mobilisation rates remained low among mechanically ventilated (MV) COVID-19 patients during the pandemic waves. This study aimed to characterise the association between EM and 60-day outcomes. Methods A multicentre observational study conducted by the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) examined mobilisation strategies during the second COVID-19 wave (UNITE-COVIDed2021). All patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who were in the ICU on the peak day between 1 January and 1 June 2021 were included. The analysis expanded on the UNITE-COVIDed2020 study, comparing the first and second COVID-19 waves using a combined dataset. Results Data from 2,053 patients during the second wave across 103 ICUs in 35 countries were analysed and compared with 4,190 patients from the first wave. EM was achieved in 801 (39%) vs. 1114 (27%), p

KW - Early mobilisation

KW - COVID-19 patients

KW - Multicentre study

KW - ICUAW

KW - ESICM

KW - UNITE-COVID

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105008022781

U2 - 10.1016/j.accpm.2025.101550

DO - 10.1016/j.accpm.2025.101550

M3 - Article

SN - 2352-5568

VL - 44

JO - Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain Medicine

JF - Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain Medicine

IS - 4

M1 - 101550

ER -

Evaluating early mobilisation in critically ill COVID-19 patients: Secondary analysis from the ESICM UNITE-COVID-II multicentre observational study

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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