Investigation of Demographic, Clinical, Management and Outcome Characteristics Among Iranian Patients with GBS Following COVID Infection

Abstract

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, several studies suggested a potential association between COVID-19 infection and Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Objectives: This study aimed to compare the demographic, clinical, management, and outcome characteristics of GBS in patients with and without COVID-19 in Iran. Methods: In this retrospective study conducted at Imam Reza Hospital, Kermanshah, Iran, the medical records of 143 patients diagnosed with GBS from February 2016 to March 2022 were reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups: The COVID-19 group (n = 50), with recent or current infection, and the non-COVID-19 group (n = 93), diagnosed before the pandemic. Results: The mean age of patients in the COVID-19 group was significantly higher than that of the non-COVID-19 group (60.96 ± 12.92 vs. 50.54 ± 17.89 years, P = 0.001). No significant differences were found between the groups regarding gender distribution, treatment, ICU admission, or discharge outcomes. Limb weakness was the most common clinical presentation in both groups, while paresthesia was significantly more common in non-COVID-19 patients. Conclusions: Except for the higher mean age in COVID-19-associated GBS patients, other clinical, epidemiological, and outcome parameters showed no significant differences between the COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 groups.