ABSTRACT
Background. This systematic review evaluated the studies conducted on Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) due to COVID-19 vaccination to clarify any possible connections and the type of vaccines causing GBS. Methods. A comprehensive search was performed on July 2021 through MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases to detect published and unpublished papers. Our PICO was all COVID-19 vaccinated individuals as the population, COVID-19 vaccines as the intervention, and patients experiencing GBS following COVID-19 vaccination as the outcome. Critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute case series or case report were used to evaluate the quality of included studies. Results. In the present systematic review, 12 case reports and case series including 21 patients were assessed. More than half of the patients were male, and the mean age of male patients was lower than females. In terms of vaccine type, the most common kind of vaccine injected was Oxford/AstraZeneca, and all the cases except one patient had received only one dose of the vaccine. Regarding the interval between receiving the vaccine and the onset of GBS symptoms, the mean duration was 14 days. The lowest mean time interval between receiving the vaccine and the onset of symptoms of GBS was related to the unnamed vector-based COVID-19 vaccine, and the highest was associated with Oxford/AstraZeneca. Conclusion. Through this systematic review of case reports, we neither attempt to establish nor rule out a causal link between the COVID-19 vaccine and GBS, because such a link requires extensive case-control studies. However, we must highlight any events that may occur following the injection of existing vaccines. Practical Implications. The most common symptoms seen in patients experiencing GBS after vaccination included progressive bilateral lower limb weakness, paresthesia, numbness of limbs, generalized body aches, and back pain.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Accurate diagnosis of the COVID-19 disease is important. Currently, chest computed tomography (CT) and reverse polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) are being used for the diagnosis of the COVID-19 disease. This study was performed to evaluate the Chest computed tomography (CT) diagnostic value in comparison with the RT-PCR method among COVID-19 patients. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on suspected cases of COVID-19 in Imam Khomeini Hospital, Jiroft, Iran. Studied patients were evaluated via both a chest CT scan and nasopharyngeal swab for SARS-CoV-2 detection. Data was collected using a self-administered checklist, including demographic information, medical history, and symptoms of COVID-19, chest CT scan, and RT-PCR findings. Data were analyzed using SPSS-V21. Results: One thousand and ninety (1090) cases participated in the study;the mean age of the cases of COVID-19 was 48.20± 7.31 years old. The results of the RT-PCR test were 410 (37.6%) positive and 680 (62.4%) negative cases. According to the results of RT-PCR, which is the gold standard method, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive values of chest CT were 98.5%. (99.4-96.8 CI: 95%), 55.7% (59.5 – 51.9 CI: 95%), 71.5% (74.4-69.0 CI: 95%), 57.3% (60.9 – 53.5 CI: 95%), and 98.4% (99.4%-99.6 CI: 95%), respectively. Discussion: The results of the present study showed that a chest CT scan is highly sensitive for the diagnosis of the COVID-19 disease. Therefore, it can be used as a suitable method for screening and early detection, which requires knowledge of its common radiologic patterns. However, the results showed that the use of this method has low specificity, so it cannot be used for definitive diagnosis and should be used as a complementary method concomitant to the RT-PCR test. © 2022 Razzaghi et al.
ABSTRACT
Background. This systematic review evaluated the studies conducted on Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) due to COVID-19 vaccination to clarify any possible connections and the type of vaccines causing GBS. Methods. A comprehensive search was performed on July 2021 through MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases to detect published and unpublished papers. Our PICO was all COVID-19 vaccinated individuals as the population, COVID-19 vaccines as the intervention, and patients experiencing GBS following COVID-19 vaccination as the outcome. Critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute case series or case report were used to evaluate the quality of included studies. Results. In the present systematic review, 12 case reports and case series including 21 patients were assessed. More than half of the patients were male, and the mean age of male patients was lower than females. In terms of vaccine type, the most common kind of vaccine injected was Oxford/AstraZeneca, and all the cases except one patient had received only one dose of the vaccine. Regarding the interval between receiving the vaccine and the onset of GBS symptoms, the mean duration was 14 days. The lowest mean time interval between receiving the vaccine and the onset of symptoms of GBS was related to the unnamed vector-based COVID-19 vaccine, and the highest was associated with Oxford/AstraZeneca. Conclusion. Through this systematic review of case reports, we neither attempt to establish nor rule out a causal link between the COVID-19 vaccine and GBS, because such a link requires extensive case-control studies. However, we must highlight any events that may occur following the injection of existing vaccines. Practical Implications. The most common symptoms seen in patients experiencing GBS after vaccination included progressive bilateral lower limb weakness, paresthesia, numbness of limbs, generalized body aches, and back pain. © 2022 The Authors.