Resumen:
Background: The Activity in GEriatric acute CARe (AGECAR) is a randomised control trial to assess the effectiveness
of an intrahospital strength and walk program during short hospital stays for improving functional capacity of
patients aged 75 years or older.
Methods/Design: Patients aged 75 years or older admitted for a short hospital stay (≤14 days) will be randomly
assigned to either a usual care (control) group or an intervention (training) group. Participants allocated in the usual
care group will receive normal hospital care and participants allocated in the intervention group will perform
multiple sessions per day of lower limb strength training (standing from a seated position) and walking (10 min
bouts) while hospitalized. The primary outcome to be assessed pre and post of the hospital stay will be functional
capacity, using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), and time to walk 10 meters. Besides length of
hospitalization, the secondary outcomes that will also be assessed at hospital admission and discharge will be
pulmonary ventilation (forced expiratory volume in one second, FEV1) and peripheral oxygen saturation. The
secondary outcomes that will be assessed by tel...