Journal of Clinical Pediatrics ›› 2026, Vol. 44 ›› Issue (8): 755-762.doi: 10.12372/jcp.2026.26e0158

• Literature Review • Previous Articles    

Research progress of pediatric intensive care unit-acquired weakness

DING Qiuyuan1,3,4,5, ZHOU Liang2,3,4,5()   

  1. 1 Department of Intensive Care Unit Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China
    2 Department of Emergency Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400014, China
    3 National Clinical Research Center for Children and Adolescents' Health and Diseases, Chongqing 400014, China
    4 Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing 400014, China
    5 Intelligent Application of Big Data in Pediatrics Engineering Research Center of Chongqing Education Commission of China, Chongqing 400014, China
  • Received:2026-02-09 Revised:2026-03-27 Accepted:2026-06-22 Published:2026-08-15 Online:2026-08-13
  • Contact: ZHOU Liang E-mail:756716589@qq.com

Abstract:

Intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) is a secondary neuromuscular syndrome occurring during critical illness, mainly manifesting as new-onset symmetrical limb weakness, muscle atrophy, and difficulty weaning from ventilation. This condition is well recognized in adult patients. However, there are few reports of ICU-AW in critically ill children, and awareness of the disease remains inadequate in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Therefore, this article reviews the pediatric literature on ICU-AW and comprehensively summarizes the current academic understanding of pediatric ICU-AW in terms of epidemiology, risk factors, pathophysiology, diagnostic criteria and methods, and prevention and treatment. At this stage, research on pediatric ICU-AW is still insufficient with no unified diagnostic criteria, indicating that further clinical studies are required to deepen and unify the understanding of this disease. Reducing the risk factors for PICU-AW, as well as early mobilization, reduced sedation, and neuromuscular electrical stimulation therapy, may be effective measures for the prevention and treatment of PICU-AW.

Key words: pediatric, intensive care unit-acquired weakness, critical illness polyneuropathy, critical illness myopathy, clinical features

CLC Number: 

  • R72