title: Weaning failure due to acute neuromuscular disease.
abstract: Two patients who required ventilatory support for acute pulmonary disease failed to be weaned when they developed the Guillain-Barré syndrome. Respiratory muscle weakness was a major sign of their acute neuromuscular disease because the manifestations of critical illness obscured the progressive paralysis. Both cases illustrate the difficulty in diagnosing acute neuromuscular syndromes in critically ill patients.
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Covert
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Brodie
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Zimmerman
mesh_terms: D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000097:blood; D003422:Critical Care; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010292:Paresthesia / Q000150:complications; D011129:Polyradiculoneuropathy / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D001261:Pulmonary Atelectasis / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012128:Respiratory Distress Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D014797:Vital Capacity
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D010100:Oxygen