title: When the Guillain-Barre patient fails to respond to treatment.
abstract: Most patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) respond to treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin, but it is not uncommon for some to continue to deteriorate for a period after treatment has been started. This may reflect the natural history of the disease, or an error in diagnosis. This article reflects my own view of what to do in this situation, with a review of what few data there are to guide decision making.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham B15 2TH, UK. j.b.winer@bham.ac.uk
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Winer
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control; D018450:Disease Progression; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000276:immunology; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010956:Plasmapheresis / Q000592:standards; D012008:Recurrence; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic
chemical_list: D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous