Critical Care Management of Guillain-Barré Syndrome

COVID-19 is a novel disease best known to cause a cough, fever and respiratory failure. Recently, it has been recognised that COVID-19 may present in multi-systemic ways which can cause diagnostic uncertainty or error.We present a patient who attended hospital with features of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) before developing clinical and radiological findings of COVID-19. While the authors recognise that neurological complications have been reported following COVID-19 infection, to their knowledge this report describes a unique presentation of GBS without preceding COVID-19 symptoms.Since these conditions may have considerable overlapping features including respiratory failure and (following prolonged critical care admission) profound weakness, it is possible that one diagnosis may be overlooked. Raising awareness of a possible association between these conditions is important so both are considered allowing appropriate investigations to be arranged to optimise the chance of neurological recovery and survival, while also protecting staff from potentially unrecognised COVID-19.

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Critical Care of Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Critical Care Neurology and Neurosurgery ◽

10.1007/978-1-59259-660-7_27 ◽

2004 ◽

pp. 481-492

Author(s):

Michel T. Torbey ◽

J. Ricardo Carhuapoma

Keyword(s):

Critical Care ◽

Guillain Barre Syndrome ◽

Guillain Barré Syndrome ◽

Guillain Barré

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Pearls and Pitfalls in the Intensive Care Management of Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Seminars in Neurology ◽

10.1055/s-2001-19411 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 21 (04) ◽

pp. 399-406 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Julio A. Chalela

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care ◽

Care Management ◽

Guillain Barre Syndrome ◽

Intensive Care Management ◽

Guillain Barré Syndrome ◽

Guillain Barré

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Intensive care management of Guillain-Barre syndrome: A retrospective outcome study and review of literature

Journal of Neuroanaesthesiology and Critical Care ◽

10.4103/2348-0548.139106 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 01 (03) ◽

pp. 188-197 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hemant Bhagat ◽

Hari Dash ◽

Rajendra Chauhan ◽

Puneet Khanna ◽

Parmod Bithal

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care ◽

Care Management ◽

Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Ventilatory Support ◽

Guillain Barre Syndrome ◽

Mortality Data ◽

Intensive Care Management ◽

Guillain Barré Syndrome ◽

Guillain Barré

Abstract Introduction: Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is an immune mediated disorder which is associated with demyelination of peripheral nervous system and progressive muscle weakness. Severely affected patients have respiratory dysfunction and may need ventilatory support which can cause significant morbidity and mortality. There is limited Indian data with regards to the outcome of severely affected GBS patients. The present study reflects the intensive care management of severely affected GBS patients at neurological centre of a tertiary care institute of India. Materials and Methods: The study was designed to retrospectively review the patient records who were admitted to neurological intensive care unit (ICU) of AIIMS, New Delhi. The epidemiology, clinical features, course of management and outcome of GBS patients admitted between April 2000 to December 2005 were recorded and analysed. Results: The data of 59 patients were available for inclusion in the study. The mean age of patients admitted to neurological ICU was 35 years with male preponderance. Ventilatory failure was the most common indication for ICU admission. 95% patients required ventilatory support for a mean duration of 30 days. The mortality data included 60 patients and 13 patients died during the course of management. Conclusions: The present study indicates that severely affected GBS patients may need prolonged mechanical ventilation. Despite management in a specialized neurological ICU the mortality can be as high as 21%.

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