Mechanical ventilation in Guillain-Barré syndrome: does age influence functional outcome?
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effects of age on differences in the clinical course and functional outcome of mechanically ventilated Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) patients.


METHODS
32 consecutive patients with GBS in need of mechanical ventilation were divided into two groups: (1) 15 patients <65 years, and (2) 17 patients >or=65 years. Length of ventilation, therapy, incidence of bulbar involvement, dysautonomia, preceding infections, need for tracheostomy, mortality, and functional outcome at 1-year follow-up using the Hughes outcome scale were analyzed.


RESULTS
The groups were comparable regarding treatment, lesion type, incidence of bulbar involvement, dysautonomia, preceding infections and duration of ventilation. The majority of patients (75%) received combination therapy (intravenous immunoglobulin and plasma exchange). Tracheostomy was performed in 91% of patients. Mortality was higher in older patients (41 vs. 7%; p = 0.02) and overall outcome worse (p = 0.05). Interestingly, once surviving the early, most critical period, older patients functionally recovered as well as younger patients (80% good outcome vs. 86%; p = 0.71).


CONCLUSIONS
Despite all the advances in intensive care, mortality in older, ventilated GBS patients is still substantial. However, once they have survived the early, most critical period, older patients may recover as well as younger patients. Special care should therefore be taken to prevent and, if present, to vigorously treat complications commonly associated with intensive care treatment of severe GBS in elderly patients.
Department of Neurology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany. martin.koehrmann@uk-erlangen.de
Martin
M
Köhrmann
Hagen B
HB
Huttner
Tim
T
Nowe
Peter D
PD
Schellinger
Stefan
S
Schwab
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D010951:Plasma Exchange; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D014139:Tracheostomy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007155:Immunologic Factors