Introduction:

Guillain-Barre Syndrome is an acute polyradiculoneuropathy that causes flaccid paralysis, generally ascending. Patients frequently have a history of previous infections, usually respiratory or gastrointestinal infections.

Objective:

To describe the demographic, clinical and electromyographic characteristics of patients with Guillain-Barre Syndrome at the Central Hospital of the Social Security Institute (Instituto de Previsión Social in Spanish) (Asunción, Paraguay) in the period of August 2015 to September 2017, in addition to analyzing variables potentially related to the clinical outcome.

Methodology:

Observational cross-sectional design. Population: Thirty patients with a confirmed diagnosis of Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Results:

Mean age of 46.6±15.8 years, 53.3% male, 26.7% with a history of respiratory disease, 20.0% with a history of diarrhea, 10.0% with a history of dengue, 53.3% with albumin-cytological dissociation in cerebrospinal fluid. Electromyography revealed a demyelinating pattern in 46.7%, a motor axonal pattern in 26.7%, and a sensory motor axonal in 23.3%. Semiologically, there were 100% patients with motor disorders, 33.3% with sensory disorders, and 3.3% with autonomic disorders. Regarding treatment, 60.0% were treated before six days of illness, 100% with immunoglobulins. There were 66.7% of the patients with clinical improvement and 3.3% deceased. No variables significantly associated with the clinical outcome were identified.

Conclusions:

males predominated and the mean age was 46.6 years. The most common antecedents were respiratory infections and diarrhea. Albumin-cytological dissociation was observed in 53.3%. By electromyography, the most frequent pattern was demyelinating, followed by axonal motor type.

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