Prevalence and mortality risk of low skeletal muscle mass in critically ill patients: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis

Review question / Objective: The PICOS principle was adopted when we confirmed the study eligibility. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (1) patients were critically ill, which was defined as adult patients who were from the ICU department; (2) exposure: patients had a clear definition of LSMM based on CT scans, anthropometric methods and ultrasound; (3) presented the prevalence of LSMM or could be calculated by the available data from the article; and (4) study design: observational study (cohort study or cross-sectional study). Articles that were reviews, case reports, comments, correspondences, letters or only abstracts were excluded. Condition being studied: Critical illness often results in low skeletal muscle mass for multiple reasons. Multiple studies have explored the association between low skeletal muscle mass and mortality. The prevalence of low skeletal muscle mass and its association with mortality are unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to identify the prevalence and mortality risk of low skeletal muscle mass among critically ill patients.