Early mobilization is beneficial for
critically ill patients because it reduces
muscle weakness acquired in
intensive care units . The objective of this study was to assess the effect of functional
electrical stimulation (FES) and passive cycle
ergometry (PCE) on the nitrous stress and inflammatory cytometry in
critically ill patients . This was a controlled, randomized, open
clinical trial carried out in a 16-
bed intensive care unit . The
patients were randomized into four groups
Control group (n=10), did not undergo any
therapeutic intervention during the study; PCE group (n=9), lower-
limb PCE for 30 cycles/min for 20 min; FES group (n=9),
electrical stimulation of
quadriceps muscle for 20 min; and FES with PCE group (n=7),
patients underwent PCE and FES, with their order determined randomly. The
serum levels of
nitric oxide ,
tumor necrosis factor alpha , interferon gamma, and
interleukins 6 and 10 were analyzed before and after the intervention. There were no differences in clinical or demographic characteristics between the groups. The results revealed reduced
nitric oxide concentrations one hour after using PCE (P<0.001) and FES (P<0.05), thereby indicating that these
therapies may reduce cellular
nitrosative stress when applied separately.
Tumor necrosis factor alpha levels were reduced after the PCE intervention (P=0.049). PCE and FES reduced
nitric oxide levels, demonstrating beneficial effects on the reduction of
nitrosative stress . PCE was the only
treatment that reduced the
tumor necrosis factor alpha concentration.