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Seriously ill and injured patients at Southampton's university hospitals are spending less time in intensive care - thanks to an innovative bedside bicycle.
All patients in the general intensive care unit at Southampton General Hospital are screened on admission and, if suitable, are placed on an early exercise programme once their conditions have stabilised.
The project - which was the first in the UK at the time of its launch three years ago - is led by a team of physiotherapists who mobilise patients and help them use the hi-tech system, known as a cycle ergometer, despite often being on complex organ support at the same time.
In its first year, the team treated 97 patients and saw the average length of stay on intensive care reduced by two days, along with feedback of improved confidence levels among all patients and a desire to continue the programme after discharge.