Medical Research Council (MRC) Scoring System for Muscle Strength in the ICU for Occupational Therapy

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1 MRC in ICU for OT
2 Measurement (Short version for ICU)
3 Scoring
4 Other Strength Measurements

MRC in ICU for OT

Manual muscle testing (MMT) in the ICU using the Medical Research Council (MRC) Scoring system for occupational therapy.

ScoreDescription
0No visible contraction
1Visible muscle contraction, but no limb movement
2Active movement, but not against gravity
3Active movement against gravity
4Active movement against gravity and resistance
5Active movement against full resistance
*Adapted from Schweickert and Hall. ICU-Acquired Weakness. Chest 2007;31:1541−1549.

Measurement (Short version for ICU)

  • Each Upper Extremity: shoulder abduction, elbow flexion, wrist extension
  • Each Lower Extremity: hip flexion, knee extension, dorsiflexion1 

Scoring

  • Minimum score: 0 = quadruplegia
  • Maximum score: 60 (4 extremities, 3 movements per extremity, 15 points per extremity.

Other Strength Measurements

  • Grip strength: dynamometer
  • Manual muscle test (MMT) – regular MMT
  1. Adler, J., & Malone, D. (2012). Early mobilization in the intensive care unit: a systematic review. Cardiopulmonary physical therapy journal, 23(1), 5.[↩]