FIGURE 1.

Study population. The sum of the exclusions in the second and third box is higher than the total number of exclusions at the corresponding step because of overlap in patient characteristics; that is, 6 patients with age < 6 years were included in Bangladesh, 5 patients who were ventilated prior to study entry were also admitted before the onset of weakness, and 1 patient with missing start date of mechanical ventilation was also admitted before the onset of weakness. EGRIS = Erasmus Guillain–Barré Syndrome Respiratory Insufficiency Score; Eu/NA = Europe/North America; IGOS = International Guillain–Barré Syndrome Outcome Study; val. = validation.