RT Book, Section
A1 Kasper, Dennis L.
A1 Fauci, Anthony S.
A1 Hauser, Stephen L.
A1 Longo, Dan L.
A1 Jameson, J. Larry
A1 Loscalzo, Joseph
SR Print(0)
ID 1128782908
T1 Weakness and Paralysis
T2 Harrison's Manual of Medicine, 19e
YR 2016
FD 2016
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9780071828529
LK accessmedicine.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1128782908
RD 2024/04/19
AB APPROACH  TO  THE  PATIENT:  Weakness  or  ParalysisWeakness  is  a  reduction  of  power  in  one  or  more  muscles.  Paralysis  indicates  weakness  that  is  so  severe  that  the  muscle  cannot  be  contracted  at  all,  whereas  paresis  refers  to  less  severe  weakness.  The  prefix  hemi-  refers  to  one  half  of  the  body,  para-  to  both  legs,  and  quadri-  to  all  four  limbs.  The  suffix  -plegia  signifies  severe  weakness  or  paralysis.Increased  fatigability  or  limitation  in  function  due  to  pain  or  articular  stiffness  is  often  confused  with  weakness  by  pts.  Increased  time  is  sometimes  required  for  full  power  to  be  exerted,  and  this  bradykinesia  may  be  misinterpreted  as  weakness.  Severe  proprioceptive  sensory  loss  may  also  lead  to  complaints  of  weakness  because  adequate  feedback  information  about  the  direction  and  power  of  movements  is  lacking.  Finally,  apraxia,  a  disorder  of  planning  and  initiating  a  skilled  or  learned  movement,  is  sometimes  mistaken  for  weakness.The  history  should  focus  on  the  tempo  of  development  of  weakness,  presence  of  sensory  and  other  neurologic  symptoms,  medication  history,  predisposing  medical  conditions,  and  family  history.