ABSTRACT
This chapter describes Guillain-Barre Syndrome, the most common peripheral nervous system pathology to necessitate intensive care unit (ICU) admission. Peripheral nervous failure causes many problems, including dysregulation of cardiovascular homeostasis, but respiratory failure is usually the cause of ICU admission. More than half of ICU patients develop weakness that appears to be a complication of their disease and/or treatments. Nursing patients with neurological complications can be labour-intensive and stressful. R. Appleton and J. Kinsella identify three pathologies: critical illness polyneuropathy, critical illness myopathy, and critical illness neuromyopathy. Neurological deficits impair normal homeostatic mechanisms, so nurses should avoid interventions or lack of interventions that may provoke crises. Nursing care is therefore especially valuable for patients with these conditions. Patients need care and support with many activities of living, but neuromuscular weakness also exposes them to complications. Physiotherapy is beneficial for almost all critically ill patients, but has an especially important role in rehabilitating patients with severe muscular weakness.
