Eurek Alert
Acute flaccid myelitis, a syndrome with rapid muscle weakness in children, has been seen in hospitals in the United States and Canada this fall.
A practice article in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal) outlines five things to know about this health issue:
Acute flaccid myelitis is characterized by rapid-onset muscle weakness, with patients presenting with weak limbs, pain and absent reflexes
Enteroviruses are the main cause of the disease in children
Urgent testing should be performed, including infectious workup and neuroimaging, and suspected cases should be reported to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Acute flaccid myelitis can progress rapidly and should be managed as a medical emergency
It often results in persistent health deficits 4-6 months after detection, with less than one-fifth of children making a full recovery, and 8%-14% needing assistive devices to walk or being completely dependent on caregivers.
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