Management and outcome of severe Guillain-Barré syndrome

Abstract

Seventy-nine patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome admitted to a neurological intensive therapy unit (ITU) between 1985 and 1992 were studied retrospectively. The mean age was 49.8 years (range 16-86) and the time between the first neurological symptom and admission to ITU was 10.2 days (0-62). Admission was precipitated by a combination of respiratory failure requiring ventilatory support (73.4%), bulbar weakness (57.0%), autonomic features (11.4%) and general medical factors (10.1%). Specific treatments included plasma exchange (65.8%), intravenous immunoglobulin (13.9%) and methylprednisolone/placebo (12.7%). Significant complications included lower respiratory tract infections (45.6%), hyponatraemia (25.3%), dysautonomia (19.0%), urinary tract infection (12.7%) and cognitive disturbances (8.9%). Four patients (5.1%) died during the acute illness. Duration of nadir correlated with duration of ventilation, duration of ITU stay and outcomes at 3 months, 6 months and 1 year. However, time to nadir, an indicator of rapidity of deterioration, did not correlate with any outcome. The low mortality in this series of acutely ill and severely disabled patients suggests that specialized intensive therapy units continue to have an important role in the management of acutely ill patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome.