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PubMed1992

Paralysis of street rabies virus-infected mice is dependent on T lymphocytes.

Street rabies virus (SRV)-infected T-lymphocyte-deficient (nude) mice, in contrast to euthymic mice, did not develop hindlimb paralysis prior to death. To document the role of T lymphocytes in rabies virus-associated paralysis, 10(8) spleen cells from normal immunocompetent euthymic mice were transferred to nude mice and the recipient mice were challenged with SRV. One hundred percent of the reconstituted mice developed paralysis and died. Depletion of T cells from the donor spleen suspension prior to transfer abrogated the development of paralysis but did not prevent the deaths of the recipient animals. Mice receiving 10(8) rabies virus-immune spleen cells did not become paralyzed and did not die. Nude mice inoculated with either rabies virus-immune or normal mouse serum prior to and following SRV inoculation did not develop paralysis. Immune serum protected the mice, whereas animals inoculated with normal serum died. Central nervous system inflammatory responses in nude mice immunologically reconstituted with normal spleen cells were characterized by diffuse cellular infiltrates in the parenchyma and extensive perivascular cuffing. Perivascular infiltrates included CD8+ and CD4+ T lymphocytes and Mac-1+ macrophage-microglial cells. Inflammatory cells in the parenchyma were limited to CD8+ lymphocytes and Mac-1+ cells. These observations indicate that paralysis of SRV-infected mice is dependent on T lymphocytes. Whether injury leading to paralysis is mediated by T lymphocytes or by an influence of T lymphocytes on macrophage-microglial cells or other cells remains to be determined.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Respiratory responses in reversible diaphragm paralysis.

The effects of diaphragm paralysis on respiratory activity were assessed in 13 anesthetized, spontaneously breathing dogs studied in the supine position. Transient diaphragmatic paralysis was induced by bilateral phrenic nerve cooling. Respiratory activity was assessed from measurements of ventilation and from the moving time averages of electrical activity recorded from the intercostal muscles and the central end of the fifth cervical root of the phrenic nerve. The degree of diaphragm paralysis was evaluated from changes in transdiaphragmatic pressure and reflected in rib cage and abdominal displacements. Animals were studied both before and after vagotomy breathing O2, 3.5% CO2 in O2, or 7% CO2 in O2. In dogs with intact vagi, both peak and rate of rise of phrenic and inspiratory intercostal electrical activity increased progressively as transdiaphragmatic pressure fell. Tidal volume decreased and breathing frequency increased as a result of a shortening in expiratory time. Inspiratory time and ventilation were unchanged by diaphragm paralysis. These findings were the same whether O2 or CO2 in O2 was breathed. After vagotomy, no significant change in phrenic or inspiratory intercostal activity occurred with diaphragm paralysis in spite of increased arterial CO2 partial pressure. Ventilation and tidal volume decreased significantly, and respiratory timing was unchanged. These results suggest that mechanisms mediated by the vagus nerves account for the compensatory increase in respiratory electrical activity during transient diaphragm paralysis. That inspiratory time is unchanged by diaphragm paralysis whereas the rate or rise of phrenic nerve activity increases suggest that reflexes other than the Hering-Breuer reflex contribute to the increased respiratory response.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Statistical analysis of malignant tumors detected as the cause of vocal cord paralysis.

It is well known that vocal cord paralysis is sometimes the only sign of an otherwise symptom-free malignant tumor. We report 69 cases of vocal cord paralysis caused by malignant tumor experienced at our clinic over the past 18 years. They consisted of 28 cases of thyroid cancer, 21 lung cancer, 14 esophageal cancer, 3 mediastinal tumors and 3 tumors of miscellaneous origin: 41 cases were male and 28 female. In the 65 patients with unilateral paralysis, the left side was affected in 45 and the right in 20. The remaining 4 patients had bilateral paralysis. There was a marked sex difference in the origin of malignant tumors; the incidence of lung cancer was higher in males with paralysis on the left side, while that of thyroid cancer was higher in females. Ultrasonography (US) of the neck, chest X-ray, CT scan of the chest and contrast esophagography should be performed for the detection of malignant tumors in cases with left paralysis, while US of the neck and chest X-ray appear to be sufficient in cases of right paralysis.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Videostroboscopy of human vocal fold paralysis.

Previous stroboscopic studies of human vocal cord paralysis have been infrequent and have lacked documentation of the site of lesion. In order to study human laryngeal paralysis, the recurrent and superior laryngeal nerves were infiltrated unilaterally with lidocaine hydrochloride in three human volunteers. Vagal paralysis was simulated by combined (superior and recurrent) infiltration in one volunteer. Additionally, 20 patients with untreated laryngeal paralysis were studied from the voice laboratory at UCLA. In addition to videostroboscopic analysis, photoglottography and electroglottography were performed and synchronized with the stroboscopic images. The most significant finding in stroboscopy of the paralyzed larynx was the asymmetry of traveling wave motion. The traveling wave on the normal vocal fold had a faster wave velocity that created a phase difference in the vibration of the two folds. The wave also traversed a greater distance along the vocal fold mucosa on the normal side. No patient or volunteer with untreated laryngeal paralysis had a symmetric traveling wave, either in superior or recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis. Synchronization with glottography indicated that the differentiated electroglottographic waveform provides useful information about the timing of glottic opening and closure in states of asymmetric laryngeal vibration. Implications for future studies and for the diagnosis of laryngeal paralysis are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Sleep paralysis as spiritual experience.

This article presents an overview of the sleep paralysis experience from both a cultural and a historical perspective. The robust, complex phenomenological pattern that represents the subjective experience of sleep paralysis is documented and illustrated. Examples are given showing that, for a majority of subjects, sleep paralysis is taken to be a kind of spiritual experience. This is, in part, because of the very common perception of a non-physical 'threatening presence' that is part of the event. Examples from various cultures, including mainstream contemporary America which has no widely known tradition about sleep paralysis, are used to show that the complex pattern and spiritual interpretation are not dependent on cultural models or prior learning. This is dramatically contrary to conventional explanations of apparently 'direct' spiritual experiences, explanations that are summed up as the 'Cultural Source Hypothesis.' This aspect of sleep paralysis was not recognized through most of the twentieth century. The article examines the way that conventional modern views of spiritual experience, combined with medical ideas that labeled 'direct' spiritual experiences as psychopathological, and mainstream religious views of such experiences as heretical if not pathological, suppressed the report and discussion of these experiences in modern society. These views have resulted in confusion in the scientific literature on sleep paralysis with regard to its prevalence and core features. The article also places sleep paralysis in the context of other 'direct' spiritual experiences and offers an 'Experiential Theory' of cross-culturally distributed spiritual experiences.

Affect↗
PubMed2000

[Therapeutic management of postoperatively diagnosed bilateral recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis].

UNLABELLED: Bilateral vocal cord paralysis is a rare but potentially dangerous postoperative complication in thyroid gland surgery. There is a controversial discussion about therapeutic management of postoperative bilateral vocal cord paralysis. METHODS: We analysed the frequency of bilateral nerve palsy in 985 operations. The disease of thyroid gland, the operative procedure, the exposure of laryngeal nerve, the mobility of vocal cord detected by an otolaryngologist, clinical symptoms and therapy of patients with bilateral paralysis were analysed. All patients were examined immediately postoperatively and 5 days, 14 days, 6 and 12 months after resection. RESULTS: The overall transient bilateral palsy rate was 0.7%, the permanent 0.3%. The palsy rate depended on the disease of thyroid gland. After resection of simple goitre we found a 0.2% transient injury rate (0.1% permanent), after operation of thyroid cancer 2.0% transient (1.0% permanent) and in cases of recurrent goitre 5.9% transient (1.9% permanent) palsies. The immediate postoperative symptoms are also very different. There are patients suffering from stridor and dyspnoea, patients with dysphonia without dyspnoea and those without any symptoms. These different clinical symptoms are due to the different grade of laryngeal nerve damage and the resulting position of vocal cords. The bilateral paralysis was completely temporary in 4 cases. 12 months later 4 patients suffered from dysphonia. Only in 3 patients with thyroid cancer and a preoperative unilateral vocal cord paralysis tracheostomy was necessary after operation. The vocal cord mobility did not recover in these 3 cases after 12 months and the patients are not decannulated. DISCUSSION: Bilateral paralysis is only relevant in thyroid cancer and recurrent goitre. The symptoms varies and no patient should leave the hospital without examination of the vocal cords by an otolaryngologist. Because vocal cord paralysis is temporary in most cases an emergency tracheostomy is seldom indicated.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis in caucasians. Report of 8 cases.

BACKGROUND: Periodic paralysis is a well known complication of thytotoxicosis in Chinese and Japanese patients, but has been considered extremely rare in caucasians. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1991 and 1996, we admitted 8 caucasian patients to our Hospital due to thyrotoxic periodic paralysis. We retrospectively analysed their clinical manifestations. RESULTS: All the patients were males. Their attacks started at night or early after awakening, frequently triggered by a high carbohydrate diet and physical exertion. Myalgias and flaccid weakness predominated over proximal leg muscles, sparing bulbar and respiratory musculature. Reflexes were brisk at the onset of the attack and reduced or absent during the course of the episode. Prior to diagnosis patients presented 1-5 attacks of thyrotoxic periodic paralysis each lasting 1-96 hours. Hypokalemia was documented in 6 patients. The episodes of periodic paralysis led to the diagnosis of a previously unsuspected thyrotoxicosis in 6 patients. In the other 2 patients the diagnosis of the thyroid dysfunction preceded the periodic paralysis. Attacks resolved after treatment of the hyperthyroid state. CONCLUSIONS: Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis is an under-diagnosed but probably frequent complication of hyperthyroidism in caucasians. Early recognition of the attacks is essential to investigate and treat the underlying thyroid dysfucntion whose symptoms are usually mild. The episodes of periodic paralysis resolve with the correction of the hyperthyroidism.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

[A case of potassium-sensitive periodic paralysis with cardiac dysrhythmia controlled with imipramine and acetazolamide].

We report a patient with potassium-sensitive periodic paralysis with cardiac dysrhythmia. The patient was a 16-year-old man. He presented with asymptomatic ventricular dysrhythmia and periodic paralysis when he was 6 and 12 years old, respectively. Physical examination revealed slight dysmorphic features such as hypoplastic mandible, low-set ears and clinodactyly. Through an exercise test, a potassium tolerance test and a muscle biopsy, his illness was diagnosed as potassium-sensitive periodic paralysis with cardiac dysrhythmia. For the treatment of his episodic paralysis, we started acetazolamide, which improved both the incidence and the severity of paralysis. However, the incidence of cardiac dysrhythmia was increased after the use of acetazolamide. Routine anti-arrhythmic drugs such as lidocaine failed to control his ventricular dysrhythmia. Only imipramine showed its efficacy by improving the degree and the incidence of cardiac dysrhythmia without aggravating periodic paralysis. This syndrome is relatively rare and there have been no standard protocols for the treatment. We propose the combination of acetazolamide and imipramine as the first choice for this clinical entity. We also discussed the efficacy of the exercise test. It enabled us to confirm the diagnosis of periodic paralysis safely and easily by recording the change of compound muscle action potential amplitudes.

Acetazolamide↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Molecular basis for hyperkalemic periodic paralysis.

At least one form of periodic paralysis is a direct consequence of a mutation in a skeletal muscle, voltage-sensitive sodium channel--it was observed that many individual with this disease developed low serum potassium levels during paralytic episodes. Some families had hyperkalemic paralysis with serum potassium levels of 6 or 7 mEg/L during paralytic crises. In both hypokalemic and hyperkalemic paralysis one of the precipitants is a period of rest after exertion. In hypokalemic periodic paralysis carbohydrates may initiate weakness. In both hyper- and hypokalemic forms, the disorder is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait. During hypokalemic and hyperkalemic paralysis, one might respectively anticipate muscle hyperpolarization or depolarization. Has been observed a potassium-related abnormality of sodium conductance in the pathogenesis at least of the hyperkalemic form of periodic paralysis. The fact that TTX reverses the physiological defect suggested the hypothesis that the primary problem might be a mutation in a TTX-sensitive sodium channel. The protein consists of some 2000 amino acids with characteristic intracytoplasmic and extracellular domains as well a four remarkably conserved membrane spanning domains, each composed of six transmembrane of a polymorphism of the human sodium channel with hyperkalemic paralysis. When multipoint analysis was used to test for coinheritance of the disease with both Na-2 and growth hormone polymorphisms, a lod score of 7 was obtained. That is, the ratio of the probability of linkage to non-linkage is 10 million to one. When extracellular potassium is increased to 10 mM, the affected myotubes demonstrate strikingly abnormal channel behavior characterized by prolonged open times or repetitive opens throughout the voltage step. Potassium implicate as a primary factor triggering an abnormal sodium channel gating mode and, as a result, aberrant sodium current behavior. It was estimated that, for the normal channel, the probability of entering a non-inactivating mode was very low and independent of potassium. On the other hand, for the abnormal channel the probability of entering an inactive mode rises up to 5-fold with hyperkalemic. Four mutations have recently been detected in individuals with cold-sensitive paramyotenia congenital. Two of the cause amino acid substitutions within the III-IV intracytoplasmic loop. It is striking that one substitutes a valine for a glycine. An analysis of the molecular biology of each mutation should illuminate not only the disease phenotype but also biophysical properties of specific sub-regions of this muscle sodium channel.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

[Neonatal laryngeal paralysis. Apropos of 116 cases].

The following study is based on a retrospective survey of 116 cases of neonatal vocal cord paralysis referred to out department over a period of 5 years. The purpose of this study is to better define the etiology, the evolution, and the prognosis of this affection in the newborn. The principal prognostic factors are: 1) unilateral versus bilateral involvement, 2) the etiological factors associated with the paralysis. Among 21 newborns with unilateral paralysis occurring after an abnormal or difficult delivery, 90% recovered spontaneously. In this form of vocal cord paralysis and in brachial plexus or facial nerve paralysis of obstetrical origin, the etiopathogenesis and prognosis are comparable. Unilateral vocal cord paralysis as the result of other etiological factors and bilateral paralysis as a group have a worse prognosis (76% and 74% spontaneous recoveries, respectively).

Cranial Nerve Diseases↗
PubMed1991

[A case of Ramsey Hunt syndrome with multiple cranial nerve paralysis and acute respiratory failure].

The authors report a 56-year-old woman with Ramsey Hunt syndrome with multiple cranial nerve paralysis and acute respiratory failure. Five days before admission, she experienced right otalgia and right facial pain and consulted an otolaryngologist of our hospital, who diagnosed the illness as acute parotitis and laryngopharyngitis. One day before admission, she experienced mild dyspnea and general fatigue and came to our hospital emergency room. A chest X-ray film revealed no abnormalities but some blisters were observed around her right ear. The next day, her dyspnea became more severe and she was admitted. A chest X-ray film on admission revealed right lower lobe consolidation, and neurological examination disclosed multiple cranial nerve paralysis, i.e., paralysis of the right fifth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, twelfth and left tenth cranial nerve. The serum titer of anti-herpes zoster antibody was elevated to 1,024, and the patient was diagnosed as having Ramsey Hunt syndrome with multiple cranial nerve paralysis. Arterial blood gas analysis revealed hypoxemia with hypercapnea, which was considered to be due to aspiration pneumonia and central airway obstruction caused by vocal cord paralysis. Mechanical ventilation was soon instituted and several antibiotics and acyclovir were administered intravenously, with marked effects. Three months after admission, the patient was discharged with no sequelae except mild hoarseness. Patients with herpes zoster oticus, facial nerve paralysis and auditory symptoms are diagnosed as having Ramsey Hunt syndrome. This case was complicated by lower cranial nerve paralysis and acute respiratory failure, which is very rare.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1990

Facial nerve paralysis.

Bell's palsy, an idiopathic facial nerve palsy, is the most common cause for acute facial nerve paralysis. Bell's palsy is not synonymous with facial nerve paralysis but is a diagnosis of exclusion for acute onset of idiopathic facial nerve paralysis. The differential diagnosis for facial nerve paralysis should be considered to correctly evaluate and give appropriate therapy in a timely fashion for the treatable causes of facial nerve paralysis. The status of facial nerve paralysis should be monitored by repeat electrical examinations, preferably ENoG. Most importantly, no one treatment is appropriate for all patients with facial nerve paralysis.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1989

Vocal cord paralysis.

The information presented in this article demonstrates that unilateral or bilateral vocal cord paresis or paralysis in infants and children is difficult to diagnose and difficult to manage. In an attempt to provide the otolaryngologist with a concise set of relevant guidelines, the following rules for management are presented here. 1. Suspect bilateral abductor vocal cord paralysis (BAVP) when a neonate or infant presents with high-pitched inspiratory stridor and evidence of airway compromise. Factors that should increase the suspicion of BAVP include associated Arnold-Chiari malformation; congenital anatomic abnormality involving the mediastinum (for example, tracheoesophageal fistula, vascular ring, other vascular anomalies); dysmorphic syndromes, especially those involving brainstem dysfunction; and manifest findings indicative of neuromuscular disorder. The neonate or infant with Arnold-Chiari malformation and inspiratory stridor has bilateral abductor vocal cord paralysis until proven otherwise. 2. Suspect unilateral vocal cord paresis or paralysis in an infant or child with hoarse voice, low-pitched cry, or breathy cry or voice. The infant who develops mild stridor and hoarse cry following surgical repair of a patent ductus arteriosus or tracheoesophageal fistula has a unilateral vocal cord paralysis until proven otherwise. 3. Direct laryngoscopy with the flexible fiberoptic nasopharyngolaryngoscope and photodocumentation using a videocassette recorder offers the best method for diagnosis of vocal cord paresis or paralysis. Additional diagnostic studies that may be helpful include radiographic studies, CT scan, MRI scan, electromyography of the larynx, and, in older children, stroboscopy. 4. In using a flexible direct laryngoscope be careful not to interpret all motions of the vocal cords or arytenoids as evidence to preclude the diagnosis of vocal cord paralysis or paresis and be careful not to mistake the anterior intraluminal portion of a normal cricoid for an "anterior glottic web." 5. Tracheotomy is often required in order to assure adequate airway during infancy for children with BAVP. However, with the advent of sophisticated cardiorespiratory monitoring equipment and methods for monitoring blood oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, tracheotomy can be delayed until attempts have been made to improve the adequacy of the airway with neurosurgical intervention or other procedures.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Radial nerve paralysis associated with fractures of the humerus. A review of 62 cases.

Sixty-two patients with radial nerve paralysis associated with fractures of the humerus were reviewed. Seventy-three per cent of the patients had primary radial nerve paralysis and 27% had secondary paralysis. Conservative management has led to excellent nerve recovery in all groups of patients. Overall, 95% of the patients with radial nerve paralysis recovered normal or near normal function. All patients with secondary paralysis had full functional recovery of the radial nerve. Conservative management is recommended in patients with radial nerve paralysis associated with fractures of the humerus, regardless of age of the patient, cause of injury, level of fracture, type of fracture, and whether paralysis is primary or secondary. Use of dynamic splints and exercises, to keep all joints of the hand and wrist supple, should be an integral part of the treatment. Indications for early surgery are unacceptable fracture reduction, open fractures requiring debridement, and associated vascular injuries. In all open procedures, the radial nerve should be explored at the same time and treated appropriately. EMG studies are recommended at four and six months. If there Is no evidence of recovery, the nerve should be explored. Except in unequivocal irreparable radial nerve damage, tendon transfers should be deferred for at least six months, preferably for one year. The possible effect of entrapment of nerve by scar and callus remains to be established.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Principles and results of treatment in acquired paralysis of III, IV and VI nerves].

Between 1979-1994 120 patients with acquired paralysis of cranial nerves of ocular muscles were treated: 33 cases with paralysis of oculomotor nerve, 43 cases with paralysis of trochlear nerve, 44 cases with paralysis of abducens nerve. The majority of our patients were males (84-70.0%) aged 21-40 years (65-54.2%). The paralysis was most frequently caused by traffic accidents (45 cases--37.5%) and assaults (26 cases--21.7%). The most common symptom of paralysis was diplopia (109 patients--90.8%). Only 12 persons (10.0%) were admitted during the first month of paralysis and visual disorders caused by it. In our group 18 patients (15.0%) were treated conservatively. Sixteen patients (13.3%) were given injections of botulin toxin A into the eye muscles. Surgical treatment, usually of several ocular muscles, was performed in 83 cases (67.5%) when diplopia was not reduced after 6-12 months. The method of surgery and results are presented.

Abducens Nerve Injury↗
PubMed2000

Neuromuscular paralysis for newborn infants receiving mechanical ventilation.

BACKGROUND: Ventilated newborn infants breathing in asynchrony with the ventilator are at risk for complications during mechanical ventilation, such as pneumothorax or intraventricular hemorrhage, and are exposed to more severe barotrauma, which consequently could impair their clinical outcome. Neuromuscular paralysis, which eliminates spontaneous breathing efforts of the infant, has potential advantages in this respect. However, a number of complications have been reported with muscle relaxation in infants, so that concerns exist regarding the safety of prolonged neuromuscular paralysis in newborn infants. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether routine neuromuscular paralysis of newborn infants receiving mechanical ventilation compared with no routine paralysis results in clinically important benefits or harms. SEARCH STRATEGY: MEDLINE (from 1966 to May 2000) and EMBASE (from 1988 to May 2000) were searched, as well as The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (issue 2, 2000). References of review articles were hand searched. Language restriction was not imposed. SELECTION CRITERIA: All trials using random or quasi-random patient allocation, in which the routine use of neuromuscular blocking agents during mechanical ventilation was compared to no paralysis or selective paralysis in newborn infants. Methodological quality was assessed blindly and independently by the two authors. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data were abstracted using standard methods of the Cochrane Collaboration and its Neonatal Review Group, with independent evaluation of trial quality, and abstraction and synthesis of data by both authors. Treatment effect was analysed using relative risk, risk difference and weighted mean difference. MAIN RESULTS: Ten possibly eligible trials were identified, of which five were included in the review. All the included trials studied preterm infants ventilated for respiratory distress syndrome, and used pancuronium as the neuromuscular blocking agent. In the analysis of the results of all trials, no difference was found in mortality, air leak or chronic lung disease, but there was a significant reduction in intraventricular hemorrhage and a trend towards less severe intraventricular hemorrhages. In the subgroup analysis of trials studying a selected population of ventilated infants with evidence of asynchronous respiratory efforts, a significant reduction in intraventricular hemorrhage (any grade and severe IVH) was found, and a trend towards less air leak. In the subgroup analysis of trials studying an unselected population of ventilated infants, no differences were found for any of the outcomes. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: For ventilated preterm infants with evidence of asynchronous respiratory efforts, neuromuscular paralysis with pancuronium seems to have a favourable effect on intraventricular hemorrhage and possibly on air leak. Uncertainty remains, however, regarding the long term pulmonary and neurologic effects, and regarding the safety of prolonged use of pancuronium in ventilated newborn infants. There is no evidence from randomized trials on the effects of neuromuscular blocking agents other than pancuronium. Therefore, the routine use of pancuronium or any other neuromuscular blocking agent in ventilated newborn infants cannot be recommended based on current evidence.

Cerebral Hemorrhage↗
PubMed2005

Neuromuscular paralysis for newborn infants receiving mechanical ventilation.

BACKGROUND: Ventilated newborn infants breathing in asynchrony with the ventilator are at risk for complications during mechanical ventilation, such as pneumothorax or intraventricular hemorrhage, and are exposed to more severe barotrauma, which consequently could impair their clinical outcome. Neuromuscular paralysis, which eliminates spontaneous breathing efforts of the infant, has potential advantages in this respect. However, a number of complications have been reported with muscle relaxation in infants, so that concerns exist regarding the safety of prolonged neuromuscular paralysis in newborn infants. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether routine neuromuscular paralysis of newborn infants receiving mechanical ventilation compared with no routine paralysis results in clinically important benefits or harms. SEARCH STRATEGY: The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library, Issue 1, 2004), MEDLINE (from 1966 to April 2004) and EMBASE (from 1988 to April 2004) were searched. References of review articles were hand searched. Language restriction was not imposed. SELECTION CRITERIA: All trials using random or quasi-random patient allocation, in which the routine use of neuromuscular blocking agents during mechanical ventilation was compared to no paralysis or selective paralysis in newborn infants. Methodological quality was assessed blindly and independently by the two authors. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Data were abstracted using standard methods of the Cochrane Collaboration and its Neonatal Review Group, with independent evaluation of trial quality, and abstraction and synthesis of data by both authors. Treatment effect was analysed using relative risk, risk difference and weighted mean difference. MAIN RESULTS: Ten possibly eligible trials were identified, of which six were included in the review. All the included trials studied preterm infants ventilated for respiratory distress syndrome, and used pancuronium as the neuromuscular blocking agent. In the analysis of the results of all trials, no significant difference was found in mortality, air leak or chronic lung disease, but there was a significant reduction in intraventricular hemorrhage and a trend towards less severe intraventricular hemorrhages. In the subgroup analysis of trials studying a selected population of ventilated infants with evidence of asynchronous respiratory efforts, a significant reduction in intraventricular hemorrhage (any grade and severe IVH) was found, and a trend towards less air leak. In the subgroup analysis of trials studying an unselected population of ventilated infants, no significant differences were found for any of the outcomes. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: For ventilated preterm infants with evidence of asynchronous respiratory efforts, neuromuscular paralysis with pancuronium seems to have a favourable effect on intraventricular hemorrhage and possibly on air leak. Uncertainty remains, however, regarding the long term pulmonary and neurologic effects, and regarding the safety of prolonged use of pancuronium in ventilated newborn infants. There is no evidence from randomized trials on the effects of neuromuscular blocking agents other than pancuronium. The routine use of pancuronium or any other neuromuscular blocking agent in ventilated newborn infants cannot be recommended based on current evidence.

Cerebral Hemorrhage↗
PubMed1999

Paralysis of ventilated newborn babies does not influence resistance of the total respiratory system.

Paralysis with pancuronium bromide is used in newborn infants to facilitate ventilatory support during respiratory failure. Changes in lung mechanics have been attributed to paralysis. The aim of this study was to examine whether or not paralysis per se has an influence on the passive respiratory mechanics, resistance (Rrs) and compliance (Crs) of the respiratory system in newborn infants. In 30 infants with acute respiratory failure, Rrs was measured during paralysis with pancuronium bromide and after stopping pancuronium bromide (group A). Rrs was also measured in an additional 10 ventilated infants in a reversed fashion (group B): Rrs was measured first in nonparalysed infants and then they were paralysed, mainly for diagnostic procedures, and the Rrs measurement repeated. As Rrs is highly dependent on lung volume, several parameters, that depend directly on lung volume were recorded: inspiratory oxygen fraction (FI,O2), arterial oxygen tension/alveolar oxygen tension (a/A) ratio and volume above functional residual capacity (FRC). In group A, the Rrs was not different during (0.236+/-0.09 cmH2O x s x mL(-1)) and after (0.237+/-0.07 cmH2O x s x mL(-1)) paralysis. Also, in group B, Rrs did not change (0.207+/-0.046 versus 0.221+/-0.046 cm x s x mL(-1) without versus with pancuronium bromide). FI,O2, a/A ratio and volume above FRC remained constant during paralysis. These data demonstrate that paralysis does not influence the resistance of the total respiratory system in ventilated term and preterm infants when measured at comparable lung volumes.

Acute Disease↗