Understanding Critical Illness Myopathy

Critical illness myopathy is an acute condition primarily affecting patients in intensive care units, characterized by muscle weakness that persists even after the underlying illness improves. Patients typically exhibit difficulty weaning off ventilation, prompting clinicians to consider this diagnosis. One important indicator of this condition is the prolongation of compound muscle action potentials (CMAP), which can indicate the presence of myosin loss. The duration of CMAPs proves to be a crucial diagnostic feature, as durations longer than eight milliseconds are considered abnormal, providing insights into patient prognosis.