Publication date: Feb 11, 2025

Up to 80% of intensive care unit (ICU) patients suffer from neuromuscular disorders like critical illness polyneuropathy/myopathy (CIP/CIM), requiring further rehabilitation. This study investigates differences in the clinical course between Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and non-COVID-19 patients with CIP/CIM undergoing post-acute neurological rehabilitation (PANR) and the impact of COVID-19 on rehabilitation outcomes. A multicenter observational study was conducted in nine German PANR facilities. The clinical course and outcome were compared between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients at rehabilitation admission and discharge. Functional outcomes were measured with the modified Ranking Scale (mRS) and the Barthel Index (BI). Functional independence was defined as either mRS Score  75 at discharge, discharged home without nursing support with a BI > 65, or discharged to further rehabilitation (phase D). To analyze outcome predictors, Cox regression was used. A total of 323 patients (COVID-19 n = 166) after an ICU stay were enrolled, and outcome measures were available for 298. 56 of them achieved functional independence at discharge. COVID-19 patients had better functional scores at admission and discharge and a shorter length of stay as the non-COVID group. Pre-existing diabetes was significantly negatively associated with functioning at discharge. This analysis provides the first evidence for differences and predictors of the clinical course and outcome for COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients with CIP/CIM in the phase of post-acute rehabilitation. Our results offer valuable impulses for rehabilitation strategies for these patients. https://drks. de/search/de , German Clinical Trials Register, ID DRKS00022845, registered on September 1, 2020.

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