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Respiratory arrest is a serious medical condition caused by apnea or respiratory dysfunction severe enough that it will not sustain the body (such as agonal breathing). Prolonged apnea refers to a patient who has stopped breathing for a long period of time. If the heart muscle contraction is intact, the condition is known as respiratory arrest.
Weakness of the eye muscles is uncommon. Some may have double vision, drooping of the eyelids and difficulty swallowing, [4] but generally only together with leg weakness; this too distinguishes LEMS from myasthenia gravis, in which eye signs are much more common. [3] In the advanced stages of the disease, weakness of the respiratory muscles ...
Weakness (motor deficits) occurs in generalized fashion, rather than beginning in one region of the body and spreading. Limb and respiratory (diaphragm) muscles are especially affected. The muscles of the face are usually spared, but in rare cases, the eye muscles may be weakened, leading to ophthalmoplegia .
Other presenting symptoms include trouble swallowing or breathing, cramping, or stiffness of affected muscles; muscle weakness affecting an arm or a leg; or slurred and nasal speech. The parts of the body affected by early symptoms of ALS depend on which motor neurons in the body are damaged first.
Various patterns of muscle weakness occur in different motor neuron diseases. [6] Weakness can be symmetric or asymmetric, and it can occur in body parts that are distal, proximal, or both. According to Statland et al., there are three main weakness patterns that are seen in motor neuron diseases, which are: [6] [9]
In neuromuscular diseases close attention should be paid to the involvement of both the inspiratory and the expiratory muscles. In patients with multiple sclerosis for example, abdominal (and hence expiratory) muscle weakness is a hallmark of the disease, and is related to clinical problems such as mucus retention.
True weakness (or neuromuscular) describes a condition where the force exerted by the muscles is less than would be expected, for example muscular dystrophy. Perceived weakness (or non-neuromuscular) describes a condition where a person feels more effort than normal is required to exert a given amount of force but actual muscle strength is ...
Mechanical ventilation or assisted ventilation is the medical term for using a ventilator machine to fully or partially provide artificial ventilation.Mechanical ventilation helps move air into and out of the lungs, with the main goal of helping the delivery of oxygen and removal of carbon dioxide.