Clinical Features of Guillain-Barre Syndrome in COVID-19 Patients: Aria and Naft Private Hospitals in Ahvaz, Iran

Given the importance of rapid diagnosis and rejection of multiple possible diagnoses and selection of appropriate treatment for Guillain-Barre syndrome in COVID-19 patients, the present descriptive cross-sectional study investigated the clinical features of Guillain-Barre syndrome in COVID-19 patients. The statistical population of the present study was all Guillain-Barre patients with COVID-19 referred to Aria and Naft private hospitals in Ahvaz in 2020 and 2021. The data collection tool was a researcher-made checklist. Paired t-test and Chi-square test were used to determine the relationship between variables. Data was analyzed using SPSS24 software. The mean age of patients was 47 years. A high percentage of patients had paresthesia (87.5%) lower limb weakness and upper limb weakness was 75%. After hospitalization, 62.5% (5 patients) received IVIg, 12.5% (one patient) received plasmapheresis, and 25% (2 patients) received physiotherapy. Spinal fluid protein was in the range of 45-110 and cell count was in the normal range. IVIg treatment was 0.4 gr / kg / d for 5 days. Based on the results, it is recommended that IVIg treatment is considered along with other COVID-19 specific therapies. In addition, during the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in GBS was observed in Khuzestan province, indicating the role of COVID-19 in GBS. It is necessary to hold educational courses to enhance information about this disease and its relevant symptoms and conduct studies with a larger sample of patients with COVID-19 at the national and provincial level.