Outcome in childhood Guillain-Barré syndrome

Veena Kalra1, Naveen Sankhyan, Suvasini Sharma

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Science, New Delhi 110029, India.

Insights

Most children with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) achieve good long-term recovery, even after severe acute phases. Early indicators like ventilation needs predict poorer short-term outcomes for pediatric GBS patients.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Clinical Neuroscience
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare autoimmune disorder affecting the peripheral nervous system in children.
  • Understanding long-term functional outcomes is crucial for managing pediatric GBS.
  • Prognostic factors in children with GBS require further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To prospectively evaluate the long-term functional outcomes of children diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome.
  • To identify clinical and electrophysiological factors associated with good versus poor outcomes in pediatric GBS.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective follow-up study of 52 children with GBS over a median of 25 months.
  • Functional recovery assessed using the Hughes scale at 12 months and beyond.
  • Comparison of clinical and electrophysiological variables between outcome groups.

Main Results:

  • Mortality in the acute phase was 11.5%.
  • At 1 year, 87.5% of survivors had full or minimal symptoms; this increased to 95% long-term.
  • Need for ventilation, inexitable nerves, and delayed walking predicted poor outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Ventilator-dependent children face the worst short-term prognosis in GBS.
  • Most children with GBS experience significant long-term functional recovery, regardless of initial severity.
Abstract

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