myasthenia_gravis
myasthenia gravis
Introduction
an autoimmune condition, which, in the early stages, mostly affects the muscles that control eye movement, facial expression, chewing and swallowing. As the condition progresses, neck and limb muscles may also be affected, causing difficulty with holding the head up, walking upstairs and raising the arms, and later breathing may be affected.
affects 1 in 10,000 people
can develop at any age, but unusal for those under age 15yrs except in some Asian countries
under age 40yrs, women are 3x more likely than men to get it
over age 50yrs, men are more likely to get it
aetiology
myasthenia gravis crisis
a crisis occurs when the muscles involved in respiration are affected causing SOB
15-20% of myasthenia gravis patients will develop a crisis
requires admission for supported breathing on a ventilator
precipitants include:
myasthenia_gravis.txt · Last modified: 2018/10/10 06:44 by wh