An Sist Sanit Navar
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Acute muscle weakness (AMW) is the predominant symptom of neuromuscular emergencies, especially if it affects the respiratory or oropharyngeal musculature. AMW is a multi-etiological syndrome, with different lesion levels in the motor unit. Within the broad group of neuromuscular diseases, those that most frequently provoke AMW and respiratory failure are Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and myasthenia gravis (MG). ⋯ This occurs in 15-20% of myasthenic patients and can be triggered by numerous factors. Besides early identification of the crisis, it is important to suppress the triggering factors and to provide measure of ventilatory support. Amongst the pharmacological measures, the most useful instruments at present are plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulins; these treatments do not cancel the need for intensive vigilance and of checking for imminent signs of respiratory failure that will involve invasive or non-invasive ventilatory support.