CRITICAL ILLNESS POLYNEUROPATHY FOLLOWING CARDIAC-SURGERY

Critical illness polyneuropathy (CIP), a neurologic complication which may occur secondary to surgery, trauma and coma, is associated with s epsis or multiple organ failure (MOF). CIP is characterized by an axon al distal degeneration of sensory and motor fibres. The patients will often become neurologically conspicious when weaning from mechanical v entilation is unexpectedly difficult. In such cases electrophysiologic examinations must be performed. CIP following cardiac surgery is wide ly unrecognized. The most important aspect of CIP therapy is treatment of the underlying disease, because no specific treatment for CIP exis ts. We report on a 64-year old patient who developed sepsis and CIP fo llowing cardiovascular surgery. The neurological complication was init ially misinterpreted as hypoxic brain damage.