Impact of Adding Bedside Cycling to Intensive Care Unit Rehabilitation on Physical Function and Length of Stay After Liver Transplantation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of early bedside cycling training in enhancing recovery among patients following liver transplantation.

METHODS: A total of 64 patients who underwent liver transplantation were randomly assigned to either an experimental group or a control group, with 32 patients in each group. Patients in the control group received routine rehabilitation training after postoperative consciousness recovery and tracheal extubation. The experimental group received supplemental lower limb bedside cycling training in addition to the routine rehabilitation. Differences in physical function, length of intensive care unit, and hospital stays were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS: The experimental group showed significantly greater improvements in physical function, such as activities of daily living scores and Berg Balance Scale scores, compared to the control group (P < .05). While the experimental group also exhibited decreased length of intensive care unit and hospital stays compared to the control group, these differences lacked statistical significance.

CONCLUSION: Early bedside cycling training contributes to enhanced physical function, such as balance function and activities of daily living, among patients undergoing liver transplantation.