Guillan Barre Syndrome clinical profile and the efficacy of different modalities of treatment

ABSTRACT

Seventy five patients with Guillain-Barre syndrome [GBS] admitted to 3 centers in Baghdad between January 2000 to June 2002 at ages 6months-15 years were studied for various clinical and cerebrospinal fluid aspect, complications.outcome of illness in different modalities of treatment [plasma pheresis, steroid therapy, supportive care]. It was found that 44 of them were males and 31 were females in ratio malefemale 1.41. It was found that 60% of them had upper and lower limbs paralysis and 40% had only lower limbs paralysis. 76% had sensory changes, 33% had cranial nerves involvement, 20% had meningeal irritation, 68% had elevated protein in cerebrospinal fluid. Respiratory involvement was found in 28 patients [37%], 21 patients needed ventilatory support. Mortality rate was 4% [3 patients], all died in respiratory care unit [RCU] due to cardiac complications and secondary infections. Sixty percent of the patients had upper respiratory tract infection preceded the illness, 20% of patients had gastrointestinal problems, 2.67% of patients had history of DPT and oral polio vaccine, 10.67% of the patients had fever, 6.67% of the patients had no any previous pathology. Autonomic disturbances was found in 42.6% of the patients. Fifteen patients received plasma pheresis [recovery rate 93%].Twenty patients received steroids [recovery rate 75%, mortality rate 10%], 40 patients received supportive [recovery rate 88%,mortality rate 2%]