Examination of the Demographic Characteristics, Clinical Manifestations, and Outcome of Guillain-Barre Syndrome Patients in the East of Iran

Abstract

Background: Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is the most prevalent syndrome associated with acute flaccid paralysis following infection globally. The GBS can lead to severe complications necessitating immediate evaluation and management in hospitalized patients. Objectives: The present study aims to investigate the clinical characteristics, outcomes, and prognosis of patients with GBS. Methods: This observational study reviewed 82 patients admitted to Ghaem Hospital in Mashhad, diagnosed with GBS from March 2021 to 2022. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics, risk factors, paraclinical findings, and treatment protocols were collected. Patients were followed for 6 months according to the GBS score. Data were manually extracted and analyzed using SPSS software. Results: The study included 82 patients with GBS, comprising 47 men and 35 women. The average duration of hospitalization was 12.17 ± 10.93 days. Sensory disorders were the most common, with 2 patients experiencing disease recurrence and 1 patient succumbing to the illness. During hospitalization, only 4.5% of patients required mechanical ventilation. Quadriparesis was observed in 68.5% of patients, and 22.5% exhibited increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein levels. Plasmapheresis was administered to 50.68% of patients, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) to 28.1%, and both treatments to 13.5%. The largest subgroup was associated with acute motor/sensory/sensorimotor demyelinating polyneuropathy/polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP). Conclusions: The clinical manifestations of GBS in most patients in our study align with those reported in previous studies, with a generally favorable prognosis. The predominant use of plasmapheresis in our study contrasts with international cases, which report higher IVIg administration.