Plasma exchange in five patients with acute Guillain Barré syndrome

During the last 3 years plasma exchanges were undertaken in 5 patients with acute Guillain Barré syndrome (G.B.S.). All the patients were admitted in the intensive respiratory care unit and had received six plasma exchange procedures over two weeks (each procedure consists of 2-3 L exchange). The first patient improved dramatically after the second exchange. Moderate success was obtained in two patients. One patient did not show any effect. The fifth patient received plasma exchange one day after her recovery phase had begun but the course of recovery remained uneffected. The effect of plasma exchange was analysed as the patients' response to motor activity, and compared with a historical control group consisting of 50 acute G.B.S. patients admitted in the intensive respiratory care area over the last 25 years. Plasma exchange does not seem to have exerted any significant effect although at any given time the plasma exchange group had higher motor activity than that of the control group. A controlled clinical trial especially in the early phase of the disease is emphasized.