Long-Term Outcomes in Children with Acute Flaccid Myelitis

Abstract

The purpose of our critically appraised topic is to combine the best evidence regarding the long-term outcomes in children with acute flaccid myelitis (AFM) regarding posture and movement, gross and fine motor control, and activities of daily living (ADL) performance. The final portfolio contains eight articles. The study designs of these articles include a retrospective cohort study, two retrospective non-randomized studies without a control group, a retrospective review, a nationwide follow-up questionnaire analysis study, a case report, a case series, and a multiple quantitative case study. All studies related directly to our evidence-based PICO question and were used to determine the best evidence of the long-term outcomes in children with AFM. Overall, our findings showed that functional improvements were seen in most i ndividuals, however, this varied from complete to incomplete recovery along with some persistent motor and functional deficits. Every case is different depending on when they were diagnosed, and how quickly they were able to implement a rehabilitation program into their everyday routine.