A Controlled Trial on the Efficacy of Acupuncture Combined with External Diaphragmatic Pacing in the Treatment of ICU-AW Based on Evidence-Based Rehabilitation

INTERVENTION: Control Group:Basic treatment: Including treatment of primary diseases, anti‐infection therapy, maintenance of water‐electrolyte balance, nutritional support, mechanical ventilation assistance, and drug therapy. Since all enrolled patients were diagnosed with spleen‐stomach deficiency syndrome in "flaccidity syndrome" of traditional Chinese medicine, traditional Chinese medicine decoctions were uniformly used for spleen‐stomach regulation: Shenling Baizhu Powder was administered for predominant spleen‐stomach qi‐yin deficiency; Buzhong Yiqi Decoction, Xiangsha Liujunzi Decoction, or Dingkou Guifu Lizhong Decoction for spleen‐yang deficiency with cold tendency; Shashen Maidong Decoction, Yiwei Decoction, or Baihu Decoction for stomach‐yin deficiency with heat syndrome. Rehabilitation training: Passive and active functional exercises were carried out gradually after the patients' vital signs remained stable for 24 consecutive hours. The stepped rehabilitation nursing protocol for ICU‐acquired weakness established in the second part of this study was implemented.;Intervention Group 1:Routine nursing plus acupuncture intervention. Acupuncture: Points of the Yangming Meridian such as Quchi (LI11), Hegu (LI4), Zusanli (ST36) and Fenglong (ST40) were selected. For patients with spleen‐stomach deficiency, Zhongwan (CV12) and Qihai (CV6) were added to tonify the spleen and stomach, warm and unblock the meridians.;Intervention Group 2:Routine nursing combined with external diaphragmatic pacing (EDP) intervention: Patients were placed in a supine position with the head of the bed elevated at 60°. The upper electrodes were placed on the medial 1/3 of the lower part of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, and the lower electrodes were placed at the intersection of the bilateral midclavi CONDITION: Intensive Care Unit Acquired Weakness PRIMARY OUTCOME: Muscle strength recovery (MRC score);Diaphragmatic function;Evaluation of TCM syndrome efficacy;Inflammatory biomarkers (C‐reactive protein, CRP); SECONDARY OUTCOME: Mechanical ventilation duration;Total hospital stay;ICU stay; INCLUSION CRITERIA: (1) Meeting the diagnostic criteria of ICU‐AW in both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine (2) Aged 19 to 80 years (3) With intact skin in the sternocleidomastoid muscle area (4) Patients and their family members providing informed consent and signing the informed consent fo