An investigation of exercise dosage during and recovery after critical illness

Utilising early active mobilisation (EM) during an intensive care unit (ICU) admission has been identified as a strategy to improve outcomes for survivors, however research regarding its benefit has been contradictory. This thesis confirms the safety of completing EM during critical illness and showed that achieving higher levels of mobility in ICU improved outcomes more than increasing the frequency or duration of mobility. We identified benefits of using patient reported outcome measures which will assist assessment of patients in future trials, while outlining common issues and concerns for survivors of critical illness with the aim to improve recovery for future survivors.