title: Guillain-Barré syndrome in Spain, 1985-1997: epidemiological and public health views.
abstract: Retrospective demographic information and hospital record data were collected for 337 patients resident in Spain who had validated Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) diagnoses and clinical onset during the period 1985-1997 and had been admitted to 11 centres, covering a population of 3.9 million. The European age-adjusted GBS incidence per 100,000 for 1985-1997 among the population aged 20 and over was 0.85, with a breakdown of 1.14 in men and 0.58 in women. Incidence increased with age and time, with occasional rises that mimicked outbreaks and occurred at irregular 2- to 4-year intervals, mainly in winter. Spatial variation was modest. Respiratory and gastrointestinal infections respectively constituted 49.3 and 19.3% of recorded preceding events. The 97.5% intercentile limit, obtained from the 1985-1997 monthly incidences using predictions from a Poisson model, was proposed as the threshold value for pilot epidemiological surveillance of GBS in 1998-1999.
authors.affiliation: Carlos III Institute of Health, E-28029 Madrid, Spain. icuadro@isciii.es
authors.forename: J I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Cuadrado
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: de Pedro-Cuesta
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ara
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Cemillán
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Duarte
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: García-López
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: García-Merino
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: García-Montero
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Martínez-Matos
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Palomo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pardo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tobías
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011634:Public Health; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D019371:Topography, Medical