[A cause of difficult weaning from artificial respiration: polyneuropathy of intensive care].

Three cases of Critically Illness Polyneuropathy (CIP) are reported. The difficulty of weaning the patients from the ventilator, whereas sepsis and MOF had been successfully treated, was the main feature in the three cases. The diagnosis was established by eletromyogram, showing a primary axonal denervation of peripheral nerve fibres, which was confirmed by a pathological study in one patient.