title: Acute weakness syndromes in critically ill patients--a reappraisal.
abstract: Over the last twenty years, increasing numbers of critically ill, mechanically ventilated patients who develop acute profound muscle weakness have been described. These acute weakness syndromes have not been well understood and they have been given many names including: acute steroid myopathy, acute quadriplegic myopathy, the floppy person syndrome, critical illness polyneuropathy, critical illness polyneuromyopathy, and prolonged neurogenic weakness. Many of these "syndromes" either overlap or represent the same disease process in different patients. Many have been incompletely diagnosed. During this review it became evident that the acute weakness syndromes currently recognized in critically ill patients could be categorized into four major groups: myopathy, neuromuscular junction abnormalities, neuropathy and polyneuromyopathy. Each had different possible aetiologies. "Myopathy" includes acute necrotizing myopathy and disuse atrophy. Neuromuscular junction abnormalities are subdivided into myasthenia-like syndromes and prolonged neuromuscular blockade. Neuropathies are divided into critical illness polyneuropathy and acute motor neuropathy. The anterior horn cell injury in Hopkins syndrome should also be considered in this group. Polyneuromyopathies include various combinations of neuropathy and myopathy in the same patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Intensive Care, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Nates
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Day
authors.forename: D V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Tuxen
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000009:adverse effects; D000870:Anterior Horn Cells / Q000473:pathology; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications; D016638:Critical Illness; D006801:Humans; D016472:Motor Neuron Disease / Q000150:complications; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000209:etiology*; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000150:complications; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000150:complications; D009336:Necrosis; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications; D019148:Neuromuscular Blockade; D009466:Neuromuscular Blocking Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D009468:Neuromuscular Diseases / Q000150:complications; D010243:Paralysis / Q000150:complications; D011782:Quadriplegia / Q000150:complications; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D013577:Syndrome
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D009466:Neuromuscular Blocking Agents