The Study of Prognostic Factors in Guillain-Barré Syndrome

Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is the most common cause of acute inflammatory demyelinating disease. We studied the clinical course and electrophysiologic findings of GBS in 31 patients from 1985 to 1990. The result of the study suggested the incidence of antecedent illness and viral Hepatitis-B associated patients or Hepatitis-B vaccination induced GBS were higher than those from other reports. These antecedent or associated illnesses had no influence on the outcome of GBS. The major clinical indicator of a poor prognosis was autonomic dysfunction and ventilatory failure. High levels of protein (＞200 mg/dl) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were also observed in the patients with poor prognosis. These patients markedly reduced the amplitude of compound muscle action potential (CMAP) and had electromyogram (EMG) abnormalities. Nerve conduction velocity (NCV) had no direct influence on the outcome of GBS.