Abstract
Purpose: This study was conducted to examine the relationship between ambulation independence and cross-sectional area of the lumbar major muscle in patients with colon perforation. Methods: We retrospectively examined the cases of 32 colon perforation patients who underwent emergency laparotomy. We divided the patients into two groups: ambulation independence (n=21) and ambulation dependence (n=11). Results: A logistic regression analysis revealed that the APACHE II score, outcome, and the rate of change of the area of the psoas major were factors relevant to ambulation independence. Conclusion: As decreases in the cross-sectional area of the psoas major during intensive care possibly affect patients' gait ability after being discharged from the ICU, it may be necessary to prevent any loss of the psoas major muscle strength by promoting early mobilization whenever possible or, if not possible, actively providing in-bed muscle training even for ICU patients.
