BENEFICIOS DE LA ELECTROESTIMULACIÓN NEUROMUSCULAR EN LA PREVENCIÓN Y TRATAMIENTO DE LA DEBILIDAD MUSCULAR ADQUIRIDA EN PACIENTES GRAVEMENTE ENFERMOS

Abstract

Critically ill patients in intensive care units are at risk of muscle weakness and atrophy resulting from immobility. In this context, neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has been investigated as a prevention and rehabilitation strategy. To review the literature on the benefits of electrostimulation for prolonged immobility and intensive care unit-acquired muscle weakness (ICU). This is an integrative literature review with searches in the databases: Virtual Health Library (VHL), Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS) and Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), National Library of Medicine (PubMed) and Google Scholar, using descriptors in Health Sciences (DeCS): Critical Care, Muscle Weakness, Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation and Intensive Care Units, combined with the AND operator. Free, full-text articles published between 2021 and 2025 in Portuguese, English, and Spanish were included. After meeting the selection criteria, 22 studies were included. NMES was shown to be safe, well-tolerated, and effective in reducing muscle atrophy. Combined stimulation of agonist and antagonist muscles enhanced functional gains. NMES constitutes a promising therapeutic resource in intensive practice for the prevention of acquired weakness.