Shear Wave Elastography of Peripheral Nerves for Early Diagnosis of ICU-acquired Weakness
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Nerve Ultrasound with Shear Wave Elastography.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: ICU-acquired Weakness, Critical Illness Polyneuropathy, Critical Illness Myopathy. Basic parameters: 18 years — 85 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- China
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Clinical Value of Shear Wave Elastography of Peripheral Nerves for the Early Diagnosis of ICU-Acquired Weakness: A Prospective Observational Pilot Study
Overview
This study aims to determine whether shear wave elastography (SWE), a non-invasive ultrasound technique that measures nerve stiffness, can help detect ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) early in critically ill patients. Adults receiving mechanical ventilation in the ICU will undergo ultrasound examinations of the median and tibial nerves on Days 1, 4, and 7. The study will evaluate whether early changes in nerve elasticity can predict ICU-AW, which is usually diagnosed later using a muscle strength score that requires patient cooperation.
Detailed description
Intensive Care Unit-Acquired Weakness (ICU-AW) is a common and severe complication in critically ill patients, associated with poor long-term outcomes. The current gold standard for diagnosis, the Medical Research Council (MRC) score, requires patient cooperation and is often delayed.
Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) is an advanced ultrasound technique that quantitatively measures tissue stiffness. Pathophysiological changes in ICU-AW, such as axonal degeneration and edema in nerves, are expected to alter their biomechanical properties (elasticity). This study posits that these changes may be detectable early using SWE, preceding overt clinical weakness.
This study will prospectively enroll adult patients admitted to the ICU who are expected to require prolonged mechanical ventilation. Participants will undergo serial ultrasound examinations of the median and tibial nerves on days 1, 4, and 7 of their ICU stay. The examinations will include SWE to measure nerve elasticity (stiffness) and conventional B-mode ultrasound to measure nerve cross-sectional area (CSA).
On day 7, all consenting and cooperative patients will be assessed for ICU-AW using the MRC score. The primary objective is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of early nerve SWE measurements for predicting the diagnosis of ICU-AW on Day 7. Secondary objectives include describing the dynamic changes in nerve elasticity and size over the first week, and exploring the correlation between these ultrasound parameters and clinical severity scores and patient outcomes.
Interventions
- Diagnostic test Nerve Ultrasound with Shear Wave Elastography
Patients will undergo non-invasive ultrasound examinations of the median nerve and tibial nerve at the bedside on days 1, 4, and 7. The examination includes Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) to quantify nerve stiffness (elasticity) and B-mode imaging to measure nerve cross-sectional area (CSA). This is a purely observational procedure and does not alter patient management.
Primary outcome measures
- Diagnostic Accuracy of Nerve SWE on Day 1 for Predicting ICU-AW on Day 7 [Time frame: Day 1 and Day 7 after ICU admission]
- Diagnostic Accuracy of Nerve SWE on Day 4 for Predicting ICU-AW on Day 7 [Time frame: Day 4 and Day 7 after ICU admission]
- Diagnostic Accuracy of Nerve SWE on Day 7 for Diagnosing ICU-AW on Day 7 [Time frame: Day 7 after ICU admission]
Secondary outcome measures (2)
- Change in Nerve Elasticity [Time frame: Day 1 to Day 7 after ICU admission]
- Correlation between Nerve Elasticity and Disease Severity [Time frame: Day 7]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Age ≥ 18 years;
- Newly admitted to ICU with an expected ICU stay > 7 days;
- Initiated on mechanical ventilation within 24 hours of admission, with an expected ventilation duration > 48 hours;
- Patient or legally authorized representative provides written informed consent.
Exclusion criteria
- Known pre-existing neuromuscular diseases (e.g., myasthenia gravis, Guillain-Barré syndrome, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis);
- Pre-existing limb dysfunction that would interfere with muscle strength assessment (e.g., hemiplegia, paraplegia, severe arthritis);
- Presence of acute trauma, surgery, skin breakdown, infection, or severe edema at the measurement sites (wrist, elbow, ankle) that would interfere with ultrasound probe placement;
- Pregnant or lactating women;
- Any other condition that the investigator believes would make the patient unsuitable for the study.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
Study locations
China · 1 center
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Wannan Medical College (Yijishan Hospital of Wannan Medic — Wuhu
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07594249 · 2026-ICU01