Autonomic dysfunction in guillain-b arre syndrome

Abstract AR

Objective: To determine the occurrence of autonomic dysfunction in the Guillain-Barre syndrome and to correlate its occurrence with severity of disease.

Methods: Fifty patients with GBS were examined with regard to signs and symptoms of dysautonomia.

Thirty of these fifty patients also underwent autonomic function testing.

The results were correlated with respiratory paralysis, mortality, and patient age.

Results: Tachycardia and bradycardia were the most common signs of dysautonomia.

Palpitations and diaphoresis were the most common symptoms.

Half of the patients who underwent autonomic function testing had abnormalities: 20% were parasympathetic, 13.5% were sympathetic, and 16.5% were combined.

There was a strong statistical correlation with dysautonomia to mortality and respiratory paralysis.

There was no correlation with patient age.