CRITICAL ILLNESS NEUROPATHY - DIAGNOSIS AND MANAGEMENT

Critical illness neuropathy is a distinct form of polyneuropathy that develops as part of a syndrome often observed in critical care units c onsisting of septicemia with encephalopathy, respiratory failure with difficulty in weaning and an axonal degenerative polyneuropathy. Criti cal illness neuropathy (CIN) has been discussed in the recent neurolog ical and critical care literature, but has not been discussed, to the best of our knowledge, in the rehabilitation literature. This article acquaints rehabilitation personnel with the methods used to diagnose C IN and differentiate it from other neuropathies and the impact that mu ltidisciplinary rehabilitation may have on the outcome of this disorde r. We found that with an appropriate history, and compatible physical findings, electrodiagnostic testing helped diagnose CIN acid that inte nsive rehabilitation was advantageous in improving our patients condit ions. (C) 1995 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation