What is myopathy of critical care?

Critical care myopathy - also known as myopathy of critical illness or intensive care units (ICU) myopathy - is a syndrome that may occur in patients with complex and prolonged stays in the ICU. Patients affected by this condition develop generalized weakness or inability to move muscles. Although some risk factors are known for the development of the disease, the basic cause of the condition is unclear. The diagnosis of the condition is made on the basis of testing the clinical history of electromyography (EMG). The treatment is supportive and patients usually slowly restore their muscles.

Symptoms of myopathy critical care include weakness and inability to move the body muscles. Often affects the body muscles diffusely and causes generalized weakness; However, it usually does not affect the function of facial muscles or muscles used for breathing. For many reasons, the disease is often not immediately reported. First, many severely ill patients receive paralytic drugs to prevent them from resisting mechanicalm breaths served by a fan and therefore weakness would not be obvious. Secondly, critically ill patients often lie in bed for days at the same time and their muscles are weak from abuse and lack of physical activity.

There are a number of risk factors that increase the patient's chance of developing myopathy critical care. Patients who require mechanical ventilation for a longer period of time are often exposed to the greatest risk. The use of some drugs, including intravenous corticosteroids and drugs used to paralyze patients, also increases the risk. Severe infections, including those that are so widespread that they can cause dysfunction of different body organs, also threaten patients with the development of this syndrome.

Diagnosis of critical care of myopathy can often be done on the basis of a clinical history paired with symptoms recorded in patients. Diagnosis can often be confirmed by performing a test known as an electricRomyography (EMG). This test uses needles embedded in various muscles placed throughout the body and measures electrical muscle activity when moving. Electrical signals are usually transmitted in a coordinated and consistent way. In the presence of myopathy critical care, however, electrical activity is unusual and shows unregulated muscle activity.

Treatment of myopathy critical care is usually supportive. The basic health conditions of patients are solved in an effort to optimize their overall health. When they wake up and sharp, patients can work with physical or work therapists and perform exercises to regain their strength. These patients can often have to spend weeks in rehabilitation facilities. No known medicines or operations can help cure this disease.