Respiratory failure with cervicomedullary infarctions.
Respiratory failure from brainstem and spinal cord infarction has been described without attention to ventilatory characteristics and prognosis. We describe two patients who suffered from complete aventilation with cervicomedullary infarctions. One achieved full recovery of spontaneous breathing, and the other had persistent aventilation until her death 4 months after her stroke from sepsis. The anatomical extent of the infarction as identified by magnetic resonance imaging was predictive of the recoverability of spontaneous breathing, and important clinical considerations are emphasized when considering weaning a patient from mechanical ventilation after respiratory failure from cervicomedullary infarction.
Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH.
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JI
Frank
Department of Neurology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, U.S.A.
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J
Biller