重症住院病患與肌少症

Hospitalized Critically Ill Patients and Sarcopenia

重症病人常因病情嚴重或危及性命，需住院或入住加護病房，提供維生系統或復甦措施，較常見的重症包括重大意外事故、重大手術、中風、嚴重感染如敗血病、肺炎等；短期住院治療，即可能因活動受限，造成肌肉流失而加重病情，研究顯示，住院接受治療的年長者，肌少症的發生率約15%至20%，不但影響疾病的康復，更常增加併發症和和治療挑戰。以重症新冠肺炎為例，自2019年12月以來，新冠肺炎造成全球大流行，重症肺炎病人住院接受治療，需使用呼吸器，嚴重病情加上限制活動，因而發生肌少症，影響治療成果，總之，臨床實務上值得及早注意和防範。

Critically ill patients often suffer from serious or life-threatening diseases. They often undergo treatment in hospital or intensive care units for life support systems or resuscitation measures. Common critical diseases include major accident injuries, major surgeries, stroke, serious infections such as sepsis, pneumonia, etc. About 15% to 20% of hospitalized elderly people developed sarcopenia that not only affects the recovery of the disease, but also increases complications and treatment challenges. Taking coronavirus disease 2019（COVID-19) as an example, it had a worldwide pandemic outbreak since December 2019. Many hospitalized patients need ventilators supports. Severe pneumonia coupled with restricted activities makes them victims of sarcopenia that badly impairs treatment outcomes. In conclusion, sarcopenia deserves early attention and prevention in the clinical practice.