Post-polio Syndrome (PPS)

• post-polio syndrome (PPS)
  • definition - “Post Polio Syndrome (PPS) is a neurological condition that can occur in people who have had polio. After an interval of several years of stability, people may then develop increasing weakness, stamina problems, fatigue and pain. PPS may respond to a range of therapies which might prevent further deterioration”(1).
  • it may affect both, muscles that were previously affected by the polio infection and muscles that were not unaffected (2)
  • clinical features include:
    • slowly progressive muscle weakness
    • fatigue
    • muscle atrophy
      
• it is rarely life-threatening
• complications include
  • underventilation
  • aspiration pneumonia
• it is not a reactivation of virus and is not contagious

Reference:

• (1) British Polio Fellowship Expert Panel – Definition Of Post Polio Syndrome. March 2008
• (2) National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Post-Polio Syndrome Fact Sheet.2007