22 April 2014 : Case report
Difficult-to-wean: High index of suspicion
Diagnostic / therapeutic accidents, Management of emergency care, Rare disease
Alehegn GelayeABCDEFG, Brijesh PatelABCDEF, Wassim FarraABCDEF, Bruce KoleABCDEFDOI: 10.12659/AJCR.890284
Am J Case Rep 2014; 15:163-167
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Failed planned extubation occurs in a minority of patients with acute respiratory failure requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. In patients presenting with acute respiratory failure with no identifiable cardiopulmonary causes, uncommon conditions, such as cervical spondylotic myelopathy, should be considered. In very rare instances, when cervical spondylotic myelopathy and syringomyelia present concomitantly, they can be devastating.
Case Report: A 57-year-old woman visited the emergency room (ER) after feeling unwell for several days. She was brought to the ER with acute respiratory distress and obtunded state with GCS of 6/15. She was hypotensive and agonally breathing. Her initial neurologic evaluation was unrevealing. Based on these findings, she was intubated. Over the next several days, she was difficult to wean from the ventilator and had persistent respiratory acidosis. After a short-lived extubation, the patient was again re-intubated. This time the neurologic evaluation showed decreased movements of all muscle groups against gravity and forces, with generalized weakness. An MRI of the brain and cervical spine demonstrated moderate degenerative disc disease and syringomyelia extending from C2 to C7 level. The patient underwent de-compression laminectomy. After failing several weaning trials, she underwent bronchoscopically-assisted tracheotomy.
Conclusions: Acute cardiopulmonary and intensive care unit-acquired neuromuscular conditions have been attributed as a major cause of difficult weaning and extubation. Failure to identify and correct other rare combinations (such as cervical degenerative disc disease and syringomyelia) may cause acute respiratory failure and subsequent failure to wean and extubation, resulting in high rates of mortality and morbidity.
Keywords: Spinal Cord Compression, Syringomyelia, Difficult-to-wean
In Press
05 Mar 2024 : Case report
Simultaneous Transcatheter Closure of a Ventricular Septal Defect and Pulmonary Valvuloplasty: A Case ReportAm J Case Rep In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.942032
06 Mar 2024 : Case report
Successful Healing of Periapical Pathology with Partial Pulpotomy in a Mature Permanent Molar: A Case ReportAm J Case Rep In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.942937
12 Mar 2024 : Case report
Successful Treatment of Lithium-Induced Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus with Celecoxib: A Promising Therapeu...Am J Case Rep In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.943244
13 Mar 2024 : Case report
Recurrent Marginal Zone Lymphoma with Bone Marrow Involvement Detected by ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT and Biopsy: A Diag...Am J Case Rep In Press; DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.943275
Most Viewed Current Articles
07 Mar 2024 : Case report
Neurocysticercosis Presenting as Migraine in the United StatesDOI :10.12659/AJCR.943133
Am J Case Rep 2024; 25:e943133
10 Jan 2022 : Case report
A Report on the First 7 Sequential Patients Treated Within the C-Reactive Protein Apheresis in COVID (CACOV...DOI :10.12659/AJCR.935263
Am J Case Rep 2022; 23:e935263
19 Jul 2022 : Case report
Atlantoaxial Subluxation Secondary to SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Rare Orthopedic Complication from COVID-19DOI :10.12659/AJCR.936128
Am J Case Rep 2022; 23:e936128
23 Feb 2022 : Case report
Penile Necrosis Associated with Local Intravenous Injection of CocaineDOI :10.12659/AJCR.935250
Am J Case Rep 2022; 23:e935250