Intensive care unit acquired weakness
Journal Title: Αρχεία Ελληνικής Ιατρικής - Year 2016, Vol 33, Issue 2
Abstract
In the last 15 years, the rapid development of therapeutic agents in intensive care has resulted in increased numbers of intensive care unit (ICU) survivors, leading to the need to study the long term complications of ICU stay. ICU survivors often exhibit significant muscle weakness with reduced functional ability and consequently reduced quality of life long after their ICU discharge. The term introduced to characterize this neuromuscular weakness is "intensive care unit acquired weakness" (ICUaW) which refers to a specific clinical diagnosis. ICUaW is attributed to a number of factors including disturbances of the microcirculation, the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), sepsis and the use of drugs with a deleterious effect on the muscles, nerves and or neuromuscular junction. The incidence of ICUaW has been reported to range from 25% for patients clinically evaluated for the presence of ICUaW, to 50% when only electrophysiological criteria are used, and it depends on the type and severity of the illness for which ICU hospitalization was needed. No effective preventive or therapeutic strategy has been reported for this condition to date, apart from avoidance of known risk factors, early mobilization and, following encouraging results from recent studies, the use of electrical neuromuscular stimulation (ENMS). This review demonstrates the significance of the disease and outlines the causes of ICUaW, the diagnostic methods used, its short and long term impact and suggested preventive methods.
Authors and Affiliations
G. SIDIRAS, V. GEROVASILI, I. PATSAKI, C. ROUTSI, S. NANAS
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP95938
- DOI -
- Views 73
- Downloads 0
Inferior vena cava agenesis
No abstract available
Pharmacologically assisted treatment of opioid dependence in Greece today: measureable results and challenges for the future
In 2011, 20,473 Problem Drug Users aged 15-64 were estimated to be living in Greece. Of them, only 4,771 were on pharmacologically assisted treatment, at a coverage rate of a mere 21%. Another 5,558 were waiting to get o...
An adolescent with epilepsy and feverish mesenteric lymphadenitis<br />
No abstract available
Medical education in the Archives of Hellenic Medicine
OBJECTIVE Medical education (ME), as a specific field of knowledge related to the processes of medical teaching and learning, is gradually gaining ground in Greece. It does not need to start from scratch, as relevant pap...
Προσδιοριστές της προπτυχιακής επίδοσης
ΣΚΟΠΟΣ Αντικείμενο της παρούσας μελέτης ήταν η περιγραφική σχέση της ακαδημαϊκής επίδοσης των πτυχιούχων του Τμήματος Νοσηλευτικής του Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών από διάφορα χαρακτηριστικά τους. ΥΛΙΚΟ-ΜΕΘΟΔΟΣ Η έκβαση (out...