Intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICUAW) is a significant and common complication with major implications for survivors of critical illness. ICUAW is a clinical diagnosis made in the presence of generalized muscle weakness that occurs in the setting of critical illness when other causes of muscle weakness have been excluded. Critical illness polyneuropathy and myopathy are the most common causes of ICUAW. Short-term implications of ICUAW include alveolar hypoventilation and an increased risk of pulmonary aspiration, atelectasis, and pneumonia—factors which may contribute to acute respiratory failure and ICU re-admission. In the long term, ICUAW has been associated with physical disturbances, including unsteady gait, sensory loss, foot drop, and, in more severe cases, persistent quadriparesis and ventilator dependency. ICUAW appears to heavily influence the failure of ICU patients to return to baseline health status post-discharge. There is a paucity of evidenced-based therapeutic strategies to reduce the incidence of ICUAW; however, early rehabilitative therapy might represent an effective measure in improving functional status.
Determinants of critical illness polyneuropathy in the case of long-term ICU treatment
