effects of low dose intravenous immunoglobulin on the outcome of Guillian Barre syndrome

ABSTRACT

Twenty-two patients with Guillian Barre Syndrome admitted to the Department of Neurology, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences [PIMS] between November 1993 and March 1995 were given five grams of intravenous immunologlobulin daily for five days. Fourteen patients were male and 8 female. The duration of symptoms before the start of treatment was one to ten days. Fifty per cent of patients had no history of antecedent illness, while seven [31.82%] had diarrhoea and 3 [13.64%] had upper respiratory infection up to 2 weeks prior to the onset of GBS. Improvement was assessed on days 7 and 14, and 4 weeks after start of treatment. Fifteen patients [68.18%] had grade 0-1 power at the start of the treatment. After one month of follow-up all patients had grade 2 power or more. Fifteen [68.18%] had grade 4 and 5 power. Two patients died. This preliminary trial of low dose immunoglobulin indicates its effectiveness in GBS