Korean Clinical Practice Guidelines for Rehabilitation in Critically Ill Patients and Post-Intensive Care Syndrome
In brief
New Korean ICU rehab guidelines give two strong safety recommendations
A multidisciplinary panel released 15 evidence-based recommendations for adult, pediatric and neonatal intensive care rehabilitation, including early structured therapy and post-ICU follow-up. While most guidance is conditional, two recommendations were rated strong because they address patient safety, aiming to standardize care and improve functional recovery. Implementation and impact on outcomes remain to be studied.
- Journal
- Annals of rehabilitation medicine (Q1)
- Published
- 31 August 2026
- Study design
- Practice guideline / consensus
- Evidence level
- Level 1, High (CEBM 1c)
- Authors
- Chi Ryang Chung, Hye Ju Yeo, Jong Geol Do, Yoonju Na, Eunjeong Choi, Jiyeon Kang, et al.
- PMID
- 42703845
- DOI
- 10.5535/arm.260132
Why clinicians should know about it
- Picked for Critical Care and Intensive Care Medicine (top studies of the week, 13 September 2026): Ranked by evidence level and journal quartile
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Survivors of critical illness commonly experience persistent physical, cognitive, and psychological impairments, collectively known as post-intensive care syndrome. Although intensive care unit (ICU) rehabilitation is now recognized as an important part of recovery after critical illness, rehabilitation practices remain inconsistent, and clinical practice guidelines adapted to the Korean healthcare context have not been available. METHODS: These clinical practice guidelines were developed de novo by a multidisciplinary panel comprising critical care physicians, rehabilitation specialists, nurses, and allied health professionals. The panel prioritized 15 key clinical questions addressing adult, pediatric, and neonatal ICU (NICU) rehabilitation. Systematic literature searches were conducted in Medline via PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and KoreaMed, and the final searches for all 15 questions were completed by November 30, 2024. The certainty of evidence and strength of recommendations were assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation framework. Final recommendations were approved through a structured consensus process requiring at least 70% panel agreement. RESULTS: The panel issued 15 recommendations across major rehabilitation domains, including early structured rehabilitation, criteria for withholding or discontinuing therapy, adjunctive modalities, rehabilitation frequency, inspiratory muscle training, swallowing rehabilitation, cognitive and occupational therapy, nutritional support, neonatal and pediatric ICU rehabilitation, and post-ICU follow-up care. Thirteen recommendations were conditional, whereas two were strong, mainly because they addressed patient safety. CONCLUSION: These guidelines provide evidence-informed recommendations for rehabilitation in critically ill patients across adult, pediatric, and NICUs in Korea. They are designed to standardize practice, improve patient safety, support patient-centered functional recovery beyond survival, and identify priorities for future research.
Abstract as published, via PubMed.
For healthcare professionals. The summary is generated by AI from the published abstract, and the evidence level is assigned automatically from the study design on the Oxford CEBM hierarchy. Neither is medical advice. Read the full paper before changing practice.