Approach to a Child with Acute Flaccid Paralysis

Acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) is a clinical syndrome characterized by rapid onset weakness, that many times includes respiratory and bulbar weakness. AFP is a broad clinical entity with an array of diagnostic possibilities. An accurate and early diagnosis of the cause has important bearing on the management and prognosis. The immediate priorities in a child who presents with acute progressive weakness are; to detect and manage respiratory muscle weakness, to detect and manage bulbar weakness, evaluate for cardiovascular instability, detect and manage dyselectrolytemia or toxemia, and to detect and manage a spinal compression (traumatic, intraspinal collections). Urgent imaging of the spine is needed in settings where a spinal cord involvement is suspected. Compressive or traumatic spinal lesions may need early neurosurgical intervention. Anterior horn cell injury is usually due to direct viral infection. More distal pathologies are generally immune mediated and respond to immunomodulation. Irrespective of the cause, generalized weakness frequently affects respiratory and bulbar function. Such children need careful monitoring and respiratory support.