Evaluation and Comparison of Treatment Response and In-Hospital Prognosis of COVID-19-Related Guillain-Barre Syndrome with Non-COVID-19 Patients.

Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has caused significant health and social impacts worldwide. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, can lead to neurological symptoms, including Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). This study aimed to compare the clinical manifestations, electrophysiological characteristics, degree of disability, and treatment outcomes of GBS patients with COVID-19 (COVID-19-related GBS) with GBS patients without COVID-19.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional multicenter study investigated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of GBS patients with a history of COVID-19. A total of 60 patients with GBS and a history of COVID-19 were included in the COVID-19 group, while 56 patients with GBS without COVID-19 were included in the control group. Demographic, clinical, therapeutic, and prognostic data were compared between the 2 groups.

Results: The COVID-19 patients were older (56.2 ± 16.8 vs 47.46 ± 19.25; P = 0.01), and there was no sex difference between the 2 groups. The most frequent electrophysiological type was acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (55% and 41%) in both groups. Although almost half of the patients in both groups were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU), the group of COVID-19 patients required mechanical ventilation more (16.6% vs 0%; P < 0.001). Also, the COVID-19 group had more length of ICU stay (P < 0.001). Although some electrophysiological differences were found (acute motor axonal neuropathy was more frequent in the non-COVID-19 group), The analysis did not show any difference in the response to treatment scores based on Phenotype, type of treatment, or electrophysiological pattern between the 2 groups of patients.

Conclusion: GBS in COVID-19 patients may have different manifestations and electrophysiological patterns, but the response to treatment and in-hospital prognosis were not different compared with GBS in non-COVID-19 patients.