Clinical outcomes of critical illness polyneuropathy

Abstract

It is often difficult to isolate the origin of acute weakness in the critically ill population because of multiple etiologies. Aminoglycosides, corticosteroids, and neuromuscular blockers frequently are implicated as the source of acute weakness. Recently, critical illness polyneuropathy (CIP), a syndrome of unknown etiology, was added to the differential diagnosis. The frequency of CIP is approximately 70% in patients with sepsis. Early studies of CIP, which were mostly retrospective, underestimated its frequency due to the complexity of the diagnosis and unfamiliarity with the syndrome. Prospective studies have explored the causality and clinical outcomes of CIP Clinical outcomes of patients with CIP include difficulty weaning from mechanical ventilation, increased length of stay, prolonged recovery, and an overall mortality rate of 26-71%. The association of CIP with sepsis, multiorgan failure, and drugs is still unclear.