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Intensive Care Unit-Acquired Weakness

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Acquired Neuromuscular Disorders

Abstract

In the field of critical neurology, several acquired disorders have been described that result in intensive care weakness. The most common are an acquired myopathy due to the use of corticosteroids and neuromuscular blocking agents (CIM) or acute quadriplegic myopathy and a debilitating axonal sensorimotor polyneuropathy (CIP): it is difficult on the bedside to make an appropriate diagnosis for which an accurate medical history, neurophysiological studies and a muscle biopsy is often needed. In intensive care unit, electrodiagnostic tests are difficult to perform; therefore a clinician should pursue a muscle biopsy. Diagnostic algorithm remains a clinical decision, but in order to determine causes and treatments of these conditions, a muscle biopsy is often needed and affects management.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Ljubljana, Korytkova 2, Ljubljana, Slovenia

    Marija Meznaric

  2. Neuromuscular centre, Fondazione IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, via Alberoni 70, Lido Venice, Italy

    Corrado Angelini

Authors
  1. Marija Meznaric
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  2. Corrado Angelini
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Correspondence to Marija Meznaric .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Neuromuscular Center, IRCCS Fondazione San Camillo Hospit, Venice, Italy

    Corrado Angelini

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Meznaric, M., Angelini, C. (2016). Intensive Care Unit-Acquired Weakness. In: Angelini, C. (eds) Acquired Neuromuscular Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29514-5_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29514-5_13

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-29512-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-29514-5

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