Acquired neuromuscular disorders in the critically ill patient

MPROVEMENT OF critical care therapy has resulted in an increased number of survivors and better outcome after critical illness. Parallel to this dynamic development of critical care, we have identified a new group of neurologic conditions that develops during the course of critical illness and that are dominated by skeletal muscle weakness and muscle atrophy. Over the last 2 decades, an increasing number of case reports and clinical studies from intensive care units worldwide have focused on these aquired neuromuscular syndromes of the intensive care unit (ICU). This review describes and evaluates our current knowledge in the field of polyneuropathies and myopathies in the critically ill patient.