What constitutes a 'good' recovery outcome in post-acute Guillain-Barré syndrome? Results of a nationwide survey of post-acute GBS sufferers in the United Kingdom.
BACKGROUND
Eighty percent of people with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) are said to achieve 'good' outcome. 'Good' outcome has been defined as either of the top two scores (0 = Healthy, 1 = minor symptoms or signs, able to run) on a 7-point ordinal scale called the F-score. This assessment of 'good' outcome appears to be an arbitrary benchmark. This study is the first assessment of the differences in outcome between post-acute GBS sufferers reporting these scores. It attempts to compare the physical and emotional differences between respondents reporting '0' and '1' on the F-Score.


METHODS
A postal survey was administered to respondents through the UK Guillain-Barré Syndrome Support Group's national database and included items relating to general patient data, general mobility, F-Score, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, SF 36 and Fatigue Severity Scale.


RESULTS
One thousand five hundred and thirty-five members were surveyed, and of 884/1535 (58%) questionnaires were returned. Results indicate significant differences between those scoring '0' on the F-Score and those scoring '1' in the post-acute phase in terms of anxiety, depression, physical functioning, fatigue and wheelchair use on discharge.


CONCLUSIONS
Significantly poorer outcomes for those scoring '1' on the F-Score suggest that only those scoring '0' should constitute a 'good' outcome in GBS.
Davidson
I
I
School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, University of Manchester, University Place, Manchester, UK. ian.davidson@manchester.ac.uk
Wilson
C
C
Walton
T
T
Brissenden
S
S
Campbell
M
M
McGowan
L
L
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D020275:Guillain-Barre Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D019538:Health Care Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology