Neurological disorders that can result in respiratory failure
| Peripheral neuropathies | Disorders of neuromuscular transmission | Disorders of muscle |
|---|---|---|
| GBS (demyelinating and axonal) | Myasthenia | Hypokalaemia |
| CIDP | Anticholinesterase overdose | Polymyositis |
| Critical illness polyneuropathy | Antibiotic induced paralysis | Acute rhabdomyolysis |
| Toxins-organophosphates, thallium, arsenic, lead, gold, lithium | Hypermagnesaemia | Hypophosphataemia |
| Drugs-vincristine | Botulism | Acid maltase deficiency |
| Lymphoma | Snake, scorpion, spider bite | Combined neuromuscular blockade and steroids |
| Vasculitis-SLE | Fish, shellfish, crab poisoning | Barium intoxication |
| Metabolic-acute intermittent porphyria | Tick paralysis | |
| Hereditary tyrosinaemia | Eaton-Lambert syndrome | |
| Diptheria |
GBS=Guillain-Barré syndrome; CIDP=chronic idiopathic demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy.
(Modified, with permission, from Hughes RAC, Bihari D. Acute neuromuscular respiratory paralysis. In Hughes RAC, ed.Neurological Emergencies. London: BMJ Publishing Group, 1994: 291−315.)