RT Book, Section A1 Schweickert, William A1 Kress, John P. A2 Hall, Jesse B. A2 Schmidt, Gregory A. A2 Kress, John P. SR Print(0) ID 1107721957 T1 ICU-Acquired Weakness T2 Principles of Critical Care, 4e YR 2015 FD 2015 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9780071738811 LK accessanesthesiology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1107721957 RD 2024/03/28 AB ICU-acquired weakness designates clinically detected weakness in critically ill patients in whom there is no plausible etiology other than critical illness. Patients can be labeled with this diagnosis with a suggestive history and when they can participate in a comprehensive bedside neuromuscular examination.Electrophysiology testing, direct muscle stimulation, and biopsy may be necessary to characterize neuromuscular injury in the patient who is unable to participate in a comprehensive neuromuscular examination, is failing to improve function despite weeks of therapy, or for the patient with asymmetric weakness.When conducted, advanced testing, particularly electrophysiology tests, can characterize the specific phenotype of ICU-AW including critical illness polyneuropathy, critical illness myopathy, a combination of the two (polyneuromyopathy), or prolonged neuromuscular blockade.The exact epidemiology of ICUAW is unknown. Studies show that 46% of patients with sepsis, multiorgan failure, or prolonged mechanical ventilation are diagnosed with ICUAW. In patients undergoing mechanical ventilation for 7 days or more, 25% develop ICUAW.Factors associated with the diagnosis of ICUAW include the presence of multisystem organ dysfunction, sepsis, SIRS, and hyperglycemia and the duration of mechanical ventilation. The only known therapy to prevent ICUAW has been strict glycemic control with insulin; however, adverse events with this therapy have prevented its utilization.