Clinical and Prognostic Characteristics of Guillain-Barre Syndrome Associated With COVID-19, Is This Coincidental?

ABSTRACT

Introduction: During Covid-19 pandemic periods, various studies have been revealed the coexistence of these two diseases, raising the question of whether SARS-CoV-2 has a role in triggering GBS or it's just co-incidentally. So far, 255 cases of this concurrence have been reported. In this study, we publish 45 patients' demographic, clinical, electro diagnostic study, response to treatment and prognostic features association of Covid- 19 and GBS during the 5 corona's epidemiologic peaks in Isfahan province. Methods: This cross-sectional, multi-central study was performed during covid-19 pandemic since 2020 February until 2021 October. In this period 5 epidemiologic peaks of corona virus occurred in Isfahan (one of providence of Islamic republic of Iran) and total of 417166 people became infected. 45 patient with definitive Covid-19 (based on positive nasopharynx Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) or highly suggestion of Highresolution computed tomography (HRCT) for covid- 19) were referred to one of the 2 referral hospitals (Alzahra and Kashani hospital). All patients whom suspected of peripheral nerve symptoms referred to the neuromuscular fellowship for further examination and performing EDx. Demographic, clinical, therapeutic and prognostic features were collected according to Hospital records. Results & discussion: 45 patients (60% male, 40% female) were surveyed. The mean age was 54.66±10.021 (max 84, min14, range80). The most EDx pattern was AIDP (57.8%, n=26).42.2%(n=19) of patients had axonal pattern. 8 of them were Acute motor axonal neuropathy(AMAN) and 11 patients were Acute motor-sensory axonal neuropathy(AMSAN). The most (91%) GBS phenotype was classic pattern which defined as acute-sub acute flaccid length dependent paralysis. 2 patients had pure para paretic pattern and 2 had miller-fisher pattern. The most common symptom of covid-19 was fever (89.7%), Other symptoms included dyspnea (48.7%), cough (46.2%), myalgia (28.2%), headache (28.2%), diarrhea (28.2%) and the less common was anosmia (12.8%). No significant difference was found between any of the covid-19 symptoms with EDx patterns. 7 patients had a history of GBS which were more than 1 year before the onset of new symptoms. 13.6% of patients had no any symptoms of covid-19 on the day of the onset of neurological symptoms, either the symptoms of covid-19 developed after the neurological symptoms or covid-19 was discovered accidentally. Mean distance between onset of covid-19 and neurological symptoms was 18.05±8.88 which was significantly lower in the axonal injury groups (12.00±800 pvalue 0.013). Also There was also signifi cant difference between frequency of para/post infectious patient in axonal and demyelinating subtypes (p value 0.045). So that Para infection was more associated with axonal injuries. Among other prognostic findings, include respiratory equipment (33% no equipment, 44% none-invasive and 22.2% mechanical ventilation), required to ICU admission (46.7%), length of ICU admission (16.66 ±12.03), length of intubation (12.10±6.24) , length of hospitalization( 23.66±14.13) and mortality(8.9%) no Significant differences were detected among each subgroups of EDx patterns and also between axonal/ demyelinating injuries. There was also significant difference among erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein among axonal patterns that means axonal patterns (AMAN and AMSAN) had more level of ESR and CRP at the first neurological symptom's day.