Intensive Care Physiotherapy Course

Lesson 1 • Safety, Contraindications, and Precautions

Defines absolute and relative contraindications to ICU physiotherapy. Establishes a safety framework applied throughout all clinical chapters.

Lesson 2 • ICU Environment and Team Roles

Covers ICU layout, equipment, and multidisciplinary team structure. Grounds physiotherapists in safe navigation and professional collaboration within critical care.

Lesson 3 • Pharmacology Relevant to Physiotherapy

Reviews sedatives, analgesics, vasopressors, and neuromuscular blockers. Physiotherapists use this knowledge to time and modify treatment safely.

Lesson 4 • Pathophysiology of Critical Illness

Examines organ dysfunction, systemic inflammatory response, and failure cascades. Provides the physiological rationale for all subsequent physiotherapy interventions.

Lesson 1 • Chest Imaging for Physiotherapists

Trains interpretation of chest X-rays and CT findings relevant to physiotherapy. Enables identification of atelectasis, consolidation, effusion, and line placement.

Lesson 2 • Clinical Respiratory Examination

Covers inspection, palpation, percussion, and auscultation in ventilated patients. Builds the bedside assessment skills foundational to all respiratory treatment decisions.

Lesson 3 • Respiratory Muscle Assessment

Evaluates diaphragm and accessory muscle function using clinical and ultrasound methods. Identifies respiratory muscle weakness driving ventilator dependence.

Lesson 4 • Sputum and Secretion Assessment

Examines sputum characteristics, quantity, and clinical significance in ICU patients. Guides selection of airway clearance techniques covered in later chapters.

Lesson 1 • Ventilator Settings and Parameters

Covers tidal volume, PEEP, FiO2, respiratory rate, and flow settings. Physiotherapists use this knowledge to assess tolerance and adjust activity during treatment.

Lesson 2 • Ventilator Weaning Readiness

Defines weaning criteria, spontaneous breathing trials, and extubation readiness assessment. Positions physiotherapy as a key driver of successful liberation from ventilation.

Lesson 3 • Invasive Ventilation Modes

Explains volume-controlled, pressure-controlled, and spontaneous modes with clinical rationale. Provides the ventilator literacy required for safe physiotherapy in intubated patients.

Lesson 4 • Ventilator Waveform Analysis

Teaches interpretation of pressure, flow, and volume waveforms to detect asynchrony and secretions. Enables physiotherapists to identify treatment opportunities and risks.

Lesson 1 • Manual Airway Clearance Techniques

Teaches manual hyperinflation, chest percussion, and vibration with evidence-based application. Builds hands-on skills for mobilising secretions in ventilated patients.

Lesson 2 • Artificial Airway Management

Covers endotracheal tube and tracheostomy care relevant to physiotherapy practice. Ensures safe handling of artificial airways during all treatment interventions.

Lesson 3 • Adjunct Airway Clearance Devices

Reviews oscillating PEP, intrapulmonary percussive ventilation, and cough assist devices. Expands the physiotherapist's toolkit for patients transitioning toward extubation.

Lesson 4 • Ventilator Hyperinflation

Explains ventilator-delivered hyperinflation as a controlled alternative to manual techniques. Covers settings, monitoring, and safety parameters for effective secretion mobilisation.

Lesson 1 • Evidence Base for Early Mobilisation

Reviews landmark trials and systematic reviews supporting early ICU rehabilitation. Provides the scientific rationale underpinning all subsequent mobility interventions.

Lesson 2 • Cycle Ergometry and Bedside Exercise

Introduces passive and active cycle ergometry and in-bed exercise devices for ICU use. Provides practical guidance on dosing, monitoring, and patient selection.

Lesson 3 • Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation

Covers NMES application for preventing and treating ICU-acquired weakness. Addresses electrode placement, parameters, and evidence for critically ill patients.

Lesson 4 • Functional Assessment Tools

Covers validated ICU-specific scales for strength, function, and mobility readiness. Enables objective measurement to guide progression and document outcomes.

Lesson 1 • Neurological Assessment in the ICU

Covers consciousness, delirium, and peripheral nerve assessment tools for ICU patients. Enables physiotherapists to adapt interventions to neurological status safely.

Lesson 2 • Rehabilitation Strategies for ICUAW

Presents targeted exercise, positioning, and splinting interventions for ICU-acquired weakness. Integrates neuromuscular rehabilitation into the broader ICU mobility programme.

Lesson 3 • Delirium Management and Physiotherapy

Examines delirium prevalence, subtypes, and the physiotherapy role in prevention and management. Teaches communication and activity strategies for delirious ICU patients.

Lesson 4 • Pathophysiology of ICU-Acquired Weakness

Explains critical illness polyneuropathy, myopathy, and combined neuromyopathy mechanisms. Provides the biological basis for prevention and rehabilitation strategies.

Lesson 1 • Burns and Prolonged ICU Stay Patients

Addresses physiotherapy for burn injuries and patients with prolonged critical illness. Covers scar management, contracture prevention, and long-term rehabilitation planning.

Lesson 2 • Neurological and Neurosurgical Patients

Addresses physiotherapy for traumatic brain injury, stroke, and spinal cord injury in ICU. Covers intracranial pressure management and positioning during rehabilitation.

Lesson 3 • Post-Surgical and Trauma Patients

Examines physiotherapy after major abdominal, thoracic, and orthopaedic surgery and trauma. Addresses wound, drain, and fixation precautions during early rehabilitation.

Lesson 4 • Sepsis and ARDS Patients

Covers physiotherapy in sepsis-related organ dysfunction and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Addresses prone positioning, lung-protective strategies, and rehabilitation timing.

Lesson 1 • Complex Case Simulation

Uses high-fidelity simulation and case-based learning to consolidate advanced clinical skills. Provides a safe environment to practise decision-making in deteriorating patients.

Lesson 2 • Evidence-Based Practice and Research

Teaches critical appraisal of ICU physiotherapy literature and application of research findings. Equips practitioners to contribute to and lead evidence-based service development.

Lesson 3 • Clinical Reasoning Frameworks

Applies hypothetico-deductive and pattern recognition reasoning to ICU physiotherapy decisions. Develops structured thinking to manage diagnostic uncertainty in complex patients.

Lesson 4 • Goal Setting and Treatment Planning

Covers patient-centred goal setting, treatment prioritisation, and session planning in ICU. Ensures physiotherapy plans are realistic, measurable, and aligned with team goals.