Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- SECTION I NEUROLOGICAL EXAMINATION AND NEURODIAGNOSTIC TESTING
- SECTION II COMMON NEUROLOGICAL PRESENTATIONS
- SECTION III SPECIFIC NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS
- 11 Central Nervous System Infections in Adults
- 12 Cerebrovascular Disease
- 13 Movement Disorders
- 14 Peripheral Nervous System and Neuromuscular Disorders
- 15 Guillain-Barré Syndrome
- 16 Myasthenia Gravis
- 17 Musculoskeletal and Neurogenic Pain
- 18 Neuro-Ophthalmological Emergencies
- 19 Multiple Sclerosis
- 20 Dementia
- 21 Brain Tumors and Other Neuro-Oncological Emergencies
- 22 Neuropsychiatry
- 23 Increased Intracranial Pressure and Herniation Syndromes
- 24 Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension
- 25 Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
- 26 Nontraumatic Spinal Cord Emergencies
- 27 Sleep Disorders
- SECTION IV NEUROLOGICAL TRAUMA
- SECTION V PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGICAL EMERGENCIES
- SECTION VI PREGNANCY-RELATED NEUROLOGICAL EMERGENCIES
- SECTION VII NEUROTOXICOLOGY
- SECTION VIII BRAIN DEATH
- Index
- References
14 - Peripheral Nervous System and Neuromuscular Disorders
from SECTION III - SPECIFIC NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 August 2009
Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Contributors
- SECTION I NEUROLOGICAL EXAMINATION AND NEURODIAGNOSTIC TESTING
- SECTION II COMMON NEUROLOGICAL PRESENTATIONS
- SECTION III SPECIFIC NEUROLOGICAL CONDITIONS
- 11 Central Nervous System Infections in Adults
- 12 Cerebrovascular Disease
- 13 Movement Disorders
- 14 Peripheral Nervous System and Neuromuscular Disorders
- 15 Guillain-Barré Syndrome
- 16 Myasthenia Gravis
- 17 Musculoskeletal and Neurogenic Pain
- 18 Neuro-Ophthalmological Emergencies
- 19 Multiple Sclerosis
- 20 Dementia
- 21 Brain Tumors and Other Neuro-Oncological Emergencies
- 22 Neuropsychiatry
- 23 Increased Intracranial Pressure and Herniation Syndromes
- 24 Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension
- 25 Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
- 26 Nontraumatic Spinal Cord Emergencies
- 27 Sleep Disorders
- SECTION IV NEUROLOGICAL TRAUMA
- SECTION V PEDIATRIC NEUROLOGICAL EMERGENCIES
- SECTION VI PREGNANCY-RELATED NEUROLOGICAL EMERGENCIES
- SECTION VII NEUROTOXICOLOGY
- SECTION VIII BRAIN DEATH
- Index
- References
Summary
The hallmarks of peripheral nervous system (PNS) disorders and neuromuscular diseases are weakness, numbness, or pain. Acute exacerbation of a neuromuscular disorder can have a rapid transition from unlabored breathing to decompensation and hypoventilation because of muscular fatigue or with aspiration of oral secretions in patients with marginal ventilatory function. Strength testing is performed by assessing the power of several proximal and distal muscle groups and by noting patterns of weakness and asymmetry. Numbness indicates the need for sensory testing to determine the patient's ability to perceive sensory stimuli. Deep tendon reflex (DTR) loss that is asymmetrical or focal in the distribution of one or several nerve root(s) or specific nerve(s) suggests localized disease. This chapter discusses disorders involving nerve roots, mixed nerves, peripheral nerves, disorders of neuromuscular transmission, disorders involving muscle and muscle function and motor neuron disease.
Keywords
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Principles and Practice of Emergency NeurologyHandbook for Emergency Physicians, pp. 161 - 174Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2003
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