Predictive Validity of the Chelsea Critical Care Physical Assessment Tool (CPAx) for Regaining Autonomy Three Months After ICU Discharge

Inclusion criteria

• Patient affiliated with, or entitled to benefit from, a French social security system.
• Patient who has received clear and comprehensive information about the study and has signed the informed consent form together with the investigator.
• Age ≥ 18 years.
• Having received at least 48 hours of invasive mechanical ventilation.
• Previous hospitalization in the intensive care unit (ICU) at CHI Elbeuf-Louviers-Val-de-Reuil.
• Prescription of physiotherapy during the ICU stay.
• Eligible for the 3-month post-ICU follow-up in the day hospital based on at least one of the following criteria:

• Mechanical ventilation or catecholamine treatment (norepinephrine) for ≥ 5 days;
• Weight loss ≥ 5% during hospitalization (criterion for malnutrition);
• Significant muscle weakness (MRC score < 28/60);
• Presence of post-traumatic stress symptoms related to ICU stay (evaluated by the psychologist).
• Ability to walk (with or without assistive devices) prior to ICU admission.

Exclusion criteria

• Patient not affiliated with the French national health insurance system.
• Documented pre-existing cognitive impairment likely to limit understanding of instructions and participation in functional assessments (e.g., dementia, intellectual disability, severe uncontrolled psychiatric disorder).
• History of disabling chronic neuromuscular disease (e.g., amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, myopathy, progressive chronic polyneuropathy).
• History of major pre-existing locomotor impairment preventing autonomous walking (e.g., paraplegia, uncompensated disabling arthropathy).
• Refusal to participate in the study or withdrawal of consent at any time.
• Person under legal guardianship, curatorship, or any other legal protection measure.
• Simultaneous participation in another interventional study likely to interfere with the evaluation criteria of the present study.
• Medical contraindication to performing the 6-minute walk test at 3 months (e.g., cardiovascular decompensation, acute pulmonary disease, persistent hemodynamic instability).