MRC

The assessment of muscle strength is essential to identify the causes that are limiting the effort of patients. An instrument that has proven effective in this regard is the Medical Research Council (MRC) Strength Test, which is a simplified method to assess muscle strength in critically ill patients.

In this test, six different movements of the upper and lower limbs are evaluated, with a graduation that varies from 0 (plegia) to 5 points (normal strength). The maximum value that can be obtained is 60 points.

ICU-acquired muscle weakness is a common condition among patients, and can be identified by assessing the MRC score. When the result is less than 48 points, the patient is considered to have this condition.