Polio medical therapy

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Only treatment for symptoms is available, ranging from pain and fever relief to intubation and mechanical ventilation for patients with respiratory insufficiency.

Medical Therapy

There is no antiviral drug, or other kind of treatment for neither form poliomyelitis. Current management of these patients is based on supportive care towards symptom relief.

Supportive Care

Hospitalization is indicated for acute cases of paralytic poliomyelitis, since bed rest prevents extension of paralysis. Pain and spasms may be relieved by application of host moist packs to the affected muscles. Once extension of paralysis has stopped, physical therapy should be initiated.

Mechanical ventilation is indicated when paralysis of the respiratory muscles occurs, before development of hypoxia. It is often started once vital capacity is below 50%. Two respiratory machines are available for this purpose:

• Tank Respirators - although not commonly used, some institutions use these respirators, that were used in the past to treat the same type of patients, in order to avoid tracheal intubation and the complications that may occur from it.

• Positive-pressure Ventilators - Although they tracheal intubation, these machines are replacing tank respirators, allowing better access to the patient.