Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Mar 1;38(3):126-130.
doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000002660.

A Review of the Diagnosis and Management of Acute Flaccid Myelitis in the Emergency Department

Affiliations
Review

A Review of the Diagnosis and Management of Acute Flaccid Myelitis in the Emergency Department

Danielle K Daniels et al. Pediatr Emerg Care. .

Abstract

Since 2014, biennial rises in acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) have brought attention to this rare but debilitating condition. Children with AFM typically present with acute onset, flaccid weakness accompanied by longitudinally extensive gray matter injury demonstrated on magnetic resonance imaging. A clearer understanding of the epidemiology and suspected pathogenesis of AFM may result in increased recognition. The purpose of this review article is to guide emergency physicians in recognizing key clinical features, initiating diagnostic evaluation and providing appropriate interventions for children with suspected AFM.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Midgley CM, Jackson MA, Selvarangan R, et al. Severe respiratory illness associated with enterovirus D68—Missouri and Illinois, 2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep . 2014;63:798–799.
    1. Midgley CM, Watson JT, Nix WA, et al. Severe respiratory illness associated with a nationwide outbreak of enterovirus D68 in the USA (2014): a descriptive epidemiological investigation. Lancet Respir Med . 2015;3:879–887.
    1. Holm-Hansen CC, Midgley SE, Fischer TK. Global emergence of enterovirus D68: a systematic review. Lancet Infect Dis . 2016;16:e64–e75.
    1. Oermann CM, Schuster JE, Conners GP, et al. Enterovirus D68. A focused review and clinical highlights from the 2014 U.S. Outbreak. Ann Am Thorac Soc . 2015;12:775–781.
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Acute flaccid myelitis. CDC Office of the Associate Director for Communication. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/afm2020/ . Accessed April 23, 2021.

MeSH terms

Supplementary concepts

LinkOut - more resources