Critically ill patients often suffer from dramatic muscle loss while in the ICU. Recovery of muscle structure and function have been proposed as core outcome measures for interventional studies in ICU survivors. Ultrasound is an accessible and validated tool to monitor muscle mass over time, with quadriceps muscle layer thickness (MLT) corresponding well to more invasive or cumbersome modalities. In order to design adequately powered studies investigating the effects of nutritional or metabolic interventions on post-ICU recovery, an estimate of the population standard deviation in MLT change over time is required. Currently there is a paucity of data describing changes in muscle mass during the subsequent period of hospitalization in ICU survivors. The aim of this study is to estimate the mean change and standard deviation in quadriceps MLT over time, in patients discharged alive from intensive care. Patients will be followed until hospital discharge or up to 28 days after ICU discharge. Interactions with nutritional intake, inflammation and metabolic rate will be analyzed for hypothesis-generating purposes.
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Quadriceps muscle layer thickness (MLT)
Timeframe: From ICU discharge to either hospital discharge or up to 28 days after ICU discharge, whichever comes first. The first measurement is performed within 72 hours after ICU discharge and repeated every 3-5 days.