Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is a rare disorder in which a person's own immune system damages their nerve cells, causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis.
Symptoms
- The first symptoms of Guillain-Barré syndrome include weakness or tingling sensations. They usually start in the legs and can spread to the arms and face.
- For some people, these symptoms can lead to paralysis of the legs, arms, or muscles in the face. In 20%–30 % of people, the chest muscles are affected, making it hard to breathe.
- The ability to speak and swallow may become affected in severe cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome.
- Even in the best of settings, 3%–5% of Guillain-Barré syndrome patients die from complications, which can include paralysis of the muscles that control breathing, blood infection, lung clots, or cardiac arrest.
Treatment
The following are recommendations for treatment and care of people with Guillain-Barré syndrome:
- Guillain-Barré syndrome is potentially life-threatening. GBS patients should be hospitalized so that they can be monitored closely.
- Supportive care includes monitoring of breathing, heartbeat, and blood pressure. In cases where a patient's ability to breathe is impaired, he or she is usually put on a ventilator. All GBS patients should be monitored for complications, which can include abnormal heartbeat, infections, blood clots, and high or low blood pressure.
- There is no known cure for GBS. But treatments can help improve symptoms of GBS and shorten its duration.
- Given the autoimmune nature of the disease, its acute phase is typically treated with immunotherapy, such as plasma exchange to remove antibodies from the blood or intravenous immunoglobulin. It is most often beneficial when initiated 7 to 14 days after symptoms appear.
- In cases where muscle weakness persists after the acute phase of the illness, patients may require rehabilitation services to strengthen their muscles and restore movement.
