[Polio, late effects and post-polio]

Approximately 7,000 Danes are still living with sequelae after surviving an acute polio infection. Late effects of polio include deformities, arthrosis and overloaded muscles. In the long run polio patients are at risk of having a further decrease of muscle function and a wide variety of other symptoms, a condition called post-polio syndrome (PPS). Treatment of PPS is in general symptomatic. Recently it has been shown that treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin may have an effect on pain, tiredness and walking distance. Patients with prior polio have an increase in morbidity and mortality, and may be more sensitive to a variety of medicine.