Anesthetic care of a child with acute flaccid myelitis

Acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) is a neurological disorder that affects the anterior horn of the spinal cord, resulting in progressive weakness, loss of motor function, hypotonia and hyporeflexia. Given the progressive and frequently long-term neurological involvement of AFM, patients may require anesthetic care during radiological imaging or other surgical procedures, such as a tracheostomy or the placement of a gastrostomy tube.