Fleurimont hospital offers cycling to intensive care patients

By Emilie Hackett, Special to the Record – CIUSSS de l’Estrie-CHUS is now offering a new rehabilitation program for its patients in the intensive care unit (ICU). A first in Quebec, patients who are bed-ridden or who are in a coma have access to the ergocycle, a mechanical exercise bicycle adapted for hospital beds. This innovative research project could help reduce muscular weakness caused by prolonged immobilization that is often seen in ICU patients and could also stimulate quicker recovery time. Conducted by Dr. Frédérick D’Aragon, an anesthesiologist and intensivist at the CHUS-Fleurimont, the study is already seeing results with five ICU patients at the hospital. So far, the ergocycle has been shown to improve physical and functional results: patients can get out of bed up to five days earlier and their hospital stay is shorter by two full days. See full story in the Friday, April 19 edition of The Record.