UNIMELB_TRUONG-Dominic_VYT-LOCAL-2024.mp4

Did you know that 1 in 2 Australians will be admitted to the intensive care unit in their lifetime? This is the place where you need lifesaving treatment and care and is normally reserved for the sickest of patients. Every year, an additional 1 million people who were admitted to the intensive care unit develop long term disability which can last up to 5 years after leaving the hospital. Muscles are important for us to perform daily activities, with recent research showing that in just one week of being in a coma you can lose almost 1/4 of your muscle bulk. Research has shown that we can use ultrasound, like a pregnancy scan, to measure and picture muscle appearance. My research hopes to understand how ultrasound is being used by health professionals and how we might identify people at most risk of losing muscle and subsequent disability, so that we can provide treatment at the right time for the right patient after being admitted to the intensive care unit.

Dominic Truong, PhD candidate - Department of Physiotherapy