Neuromuscular complications of intensive care

Critical illness polyneuropathy and critical illness myopathy are well recognized in adults, in whom they commonly cause generalized weakness and muscle wasting, with failure to wean from mechanical ventilation. There is significant clinical and neurophysiological overlap between the two conditions. Critical illness polyneuropathy and critical illness myopathy can cause significant morbidity in critically ill children, but they have only occasionally been reported in childhood, and little is known of their prevalence or clinical significance in this population. These conditions seem to be clinically and electrophysiologically similar in children and adults, but prospective studies of these entities are required to better characterize their frequency, natural history, and clinical significance in pediatric practice.