Neuromuscular respiratory failure
Underlying neurologic conditions include Guillain-Barré syndrome (ie, acute motor axonal neuropathy, acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy), myasthenia gravis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, critical illness neuromyopathy, cerebral ischemia, glycogen storage diseases, multiple sclerosis, Huntington disease, Parkinson disease, syringomyelia, transverse myelitis, and polymyositis.
Guillain-Barré syndrome typically presents with ascending weakness. Botulism presents with rapidly descending paralysis and autonomic dysfunction. Myasthenia gravis often has fluctuations and fatigability of muscle weakness.
Recent infections or changes in medications can potentially precipitate the weakness.
Diagnosis of the underlying disease can guide treatment to alleviate symptoms. Guillain-Barré syndrome, myasthenia gravis, and critical illness neuromyopathy are the most common causes for acute neuromuscular respiratory failure.
J96.90 – Respiratory failure, unspecified, unspecified whether with hypoxia or hypercapnia
409622000 – Respiratory failure
- Progressive restrictive lung disease
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Obesity hypoventilation syndrome
- Central hypoventilation
- Exposure to toxins (heavy metals [eg, lead poisoning, mercury poisoning], botulism, organophosphate poisoning)
- Thyroid disease
- Pulmonary embolism
- Shock (cardiopulmonary, hypovolemic, septic)