What it means
Named after Guillaume Duchenne, the French neurologist who described it. It is passed down on the X chromosome, so it affects mostly boys. Without the protein dystrophin, muscle fibers break down. Weakness starts in early childhood in the hips and legs, so a child may use the hands to push up from the floor (the Gowers sign). Over the years it affects the arms, the heart and the breathing muscles.
For the nurse
Care focuses on keeping the child moving and independent as long as possible, preventing contractures and falls, watching breathing and heart function, and supporting the family, including genetic counseling.
At a glance
| Also written | DMD, Duchenne's muscular dystrophy |
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Related terms
contracture
A lasting shortening and tightening of muscle, tendon, skin or joint tissue that keeps a joint from moving through its full range.