Guillain-Barré syndrome natural history, complications, and prognosis
|
Guillain-Barré syndrome Microchapters |
|
Diagnosis |
|---|
|
Treatment |
|
Case Studies |
|
Guillain-Barré syndrome natural history, complications, and prognosis On the Web |
|
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Guillain-Barré syndrome natural history, complications, and prognosis |
|
FDA on Guillain-Barré syndrome natural history, complications, and prognosis |
|
CDC on Guillain-Barré syndrome natural history, complications, and prognosis |
|
Guillain-Barré syndrome natural history, complications, and prognosis in the news |
|
Blogs on Guillain-Barré syndrome natural history, complications, and prognosis |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editors-In-Chief: Priyamvada Singh, MBBS [2]
Overview
Approximately 80% of patients have a complete recovery within a few months to a year, although minor findings may persist. A patient's outcome is most likely to be very good when the symptoms go away within 3 weeks after they first started. Complications like paralysis, respiratory failure and hypotension can be seen in these patients.
Natural History
- Most of the time recovery starts after 4th week from the onset of the disease.
- Approximately 80% of patients have a complete recovery within a few months to a year, although minor findings may persist, such as areflexia.
- About 5-10% recover with severe disability, with most of such cases involving severe proximal motor and sensory axonal damage with inability of axonal regeneration.
- However, this is a grave disease and despite all improvements in treatment and supportive care, the death rate among patients with this disease is still about 2-3% even in the best intensive care units.
- Worldwide, the death rate runs slightly higher (4%), mostly from a lack of availability of life support equipment during the lengthy plateau lasting 4 to 6 weeks, and in some cases up to 1 year, when a ventilator is needed in the worse cases.
- About 5-10% of patients have one or more late relapses, in which case they are then classified as having chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP).
Complications
Complications Related to Disease
- Breathing difficulty (respiratory failure) due to involvement of respiratory system.
- Low or unstable blood pressure (due to autonomic system involvement)
- Paralysis or paresis (Permanent loss of movement of an area)
Complications Caused by Immobility
- Contractures of joints or other deformity
- Deep vein thrombosis (blood clots
- Increased risk of infections
- Sucking food or fluids into the lungs (aspiration)
- Pneumonia
Prognosis
- Recovery can take weeks or years.
- Approximately 80% of patients have a complete recovery within a few months to a year, although minor findings may persist, such as areflexia.
- About 5–10% recover with severe disability, with most of such cases involving severe proximal motor and sensory axonal damage with inability of axonal regeneration.
- A patient's outcome is most likely to be very good when the symptoms go away within 3 weeks after they first started.
- According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, about 30% of patients still have some weakness after 3 years. Mild weakness may persist for some people.
- Despite all improvements in treatment and supportive care, the death rate is still about 2–3% even in the best intensive care units.
- Worldwide, the death rate runs slightly higher (4%), mostly from a lack of availability of life support equipment during the lengthy plateau lasting four to six weeks, and in some cases up to one year, when a ventilator is needed in the worst cases.
- About 5–10% of patients have one or more late relapses, in which case they are then classified as having chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP).
- Poor prognostic factors include age over 40 years, history of preceding diarrheal illness, requiring ventilator support, high anti-GM1 titre, and poor upper limb muscle strength.