Critical illness associated neuromuscular disorders -- keep them in mind

Abstract

Neuromuscular disorders complicating sepsis and critical illness are not new and scarce phenomena yet they receive little attention in daily clinical practice. Critical illness polyneuropathy and myopathy affect nearly half of the patients with sepsis. The difficult weaning from the ventilator, the prolonged intensive care unit and hospital stay, the larger complication and mortality rate these disorders predispose to, put a large burden on the patient and the health care system. The aim of this review is to give an insight into the pathophysiological background, diagnostic possibilities and potential preventive and therapeutic measures in connection with these disorders to draw attention to their significance and underline the importance of preventive approach.