Respiratory failure in neuromuscular diseases

Respiratory failure in neuromuscular diseases.

A series is reported of five patients with acute respiratory failure complicating neuromuscular diseases, three of whom required assisted ventilation. Initially the arterial carbon dioxide tension fell to levels below the normal range in all the patients and this change reflects alveolar hyperventilation which is probably produced by a combination of fear, small airway collapse, and reflex tach...

The diagnosis and management of neuromuscular diseases causing respiratory failure.

Neuromuscular disease causing acute respiratory failure.

In the developed world, Guillain-Barré syndrome and myasthenia gravis account for the majority of cases of acute respiratory failure associated with neuromuscular disease. The 4 components that contribute to respiratory failure are upper-airway dysfunction, inspiratory-muscle weakness, expiratory-muscle weakness, and the pulmonary complications associated with these conditions. Careful observat...

Neuromuscular disease, respiratory failure and cor pulmonale.

Respiratory muscle weakness is an uncommon cause of chronic respiratory failure and a rare cause of cor pulmonale. The problem may not be apparent unless specific physical signs are sought or appropriate investigations performed. We present three patients who presented diagnostic difficulty for prolonged periods until the presence of respiratory muscle weakness was considered. Once the diagnosi...

Risk of Unsuccessful Noninvasive Ventilation for Acute Respiratory Failure in Heterogeneous Neuromuscular Diseases: A Retrospective Study

If invasive ventilation can be avoided by performing noninvasive mechanical ventilation (NIV) in patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF), the disease can be effectively managed. It is important to clarify the characteristics of patients with neuromuscular diseases in whom initial NIV is likely to be unsuccessful. We studied 27 patients in stable neuromuscular condition who initially recei...