TABLE 2.
Demographic, clinical features, electrodiagnosis and laboratory findings of COVID‐19‐positive GBS patients versus total COVID‐19‐negative patients
| 2020–2021 COVID‐19‐positive GBS (63), % (no.) | COVID‐19‐negative GBS (149), % (no.) | p | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | 74.6 (47) male | 62.4 (93) male | 0.11 |
| 25.4 (16) female | 37.6 (56) female | ||
| Age | 63.30 ± 14.45 years (range 24–94) | 58.17 ± 17.52 years (range 18–85) | 0.08 |
| Neurological findings | |||
| Consciousness | Alert 73 (46) | Alert 95.3 (142) | <0.001* |
| Unresponsive 14.3 (9) | Unresponsive 1.3 (2) | <0.001* | |
| Delirium 12.7 (8) | Delirium 3.4 (5) | <0.001* | |
| MRC sum score | 34.7 ± 17.6 | 47.71 ± 12.14 | <0.001* |
| Motor impairment | Upper proximal weakness 61.9 (39) | Upper proximal weakness 38.3(57) | 0.001* |
| Upper distal weakness 66.7 (42) | Upper distal weakness 58.4(87) | 0.41 | |
| Upper limb asymmetry 14.3 (9) | Upper limb asymmetry 13.4 (20) | 0.83 | |
| Lower proximal weakness 85.7 (54) | Lower proximal weakness 67.8 (101) | 0.007* | |
| Lower distal weakness 90.5 (57) | Lower distal weakness 79.2 (118) | 0.05 | |
| Lower limb asymmetry 19 (12) | Lower limb asymmetry 20.8 (31) | 0.85 | |
| Sensory impairment | Upper limb hypoesthesia 28.5 (18) | Upper limb hypoesthesia 28.8 (43) | 0.73 |
| Lower limb hypoesthesia 49.2 (31) | Lower limb hypoesthesia 46.3 (69) | 0.86 | |
| Upper limb paresthesia 36.5 (23) | Upper limb paresthesia 53(79) | 0.20 | |
| Lower limb paresthesia 46 (29) | Lower limb paresthesia 61.7 (92) | 0.26 | |
| Pain 27.4 (17) | Pain 30.2 (45) | 0.37 | |
| Hypo/areflexia | 98.4 (62) | 95.3 (142) | 0.32 |
| Cranial neuropathies | |||
| Olfactory | 31.7 (20) | 0.7 (1) | <0.001* |
| Oculomotor nerves | 12.7 (8) | 16.1 (24) | 0.67 |
| Facial nerve | Unilateral 25.4 (16) | Unilateral 15.4 (23) | 0.41 |
| Bilateral 11.1 (7) | Bilateral 12.1 (18) | 0.92 | |
| Bulbar nerves | 20.6 (13) | 9.4 (14) | 0.12 |
| Dysautonomia | |||
| Blood pressure | Normal 46 (29) | Normal 81.8 (122) | 0.001* |
| Hypotension 46 (29) | Hypotension 16.8 (25) | 0.001* | |
| Hypertension 8 (5) | Hypertension 1.3 (2) | 0.002* | |
| Heart rate | Normal 76.2 (48) | Normal 93.4 (140) | 0.001* |
| Tachycardia/bradycardia 23.8 (15) | Tachycardia/bradycardia 6.6 (9) | 0.001* | |
| Clinical diagnosis | Classical GBS 88.8 (56) | Classical GBS 85.9 (128) | 0.11 |
| Miller Fisher syndrome 3.2 (2) | Miller Fisher syndrome 10.8 (16) | ||
| Facial diplegia 1.6 (1) | Facial diplegia 1.3 (2) | ||
| Pure sensory form 1.6 (1) | Pure sensory form 0.7 (1) | ||
| Pure motor form 1.6 (1) | Pure motor form 0 (0) | ||
| Pharyngeal‐cervical‐brachial 3.2 (2) | Pharyngeal‐cervical‐brachial 1.3 (2) | ||
| Electrodiagnosis | AIDP 76.2 (48) | AIDP 49.6 (74) | 0.018* |
| AMAN 7.9 (5) | AMAN 15.4 (23) | ||
| AMSAN 4.8 (3) | AMSAN 6 (9) | ||
| Equivocal 9.5 (6) | Equivocal 22.2 (33) | ||
| Normal 1.6 (1) | Normal 6.8 (10) | ||
| CSF findings | Increased proteins/normal cells 61.2 (32) | Increased proteins/normal cells 61.1 (69) | 0.99 |
| Normal 38.8 (19) | Normal 38.2 (44) | ||
| Brighton criteria | Level 1, 42.9 (27) | Level 1, 46.3 (69) | 0.15 |
| Level 2, 55.6 (35) | Level 2, 49.7 (74) | ||
| Not classifiable 1.6 (1) | Level 3, 4 (6) | ||
| Hughes disability score during hospitalization | 3.76 ± 1.13 | 3.03 ± 1.12 | <0.001* |
| Hughes disability score at discharge | 3.15 ± 1.27 | 2.19 ± 1.29 | <0.001* |
| ICU admission | 49.2 (31) | 14.7 (22) | <0.001* |
| Comorbidities | Obesity 25.4 (16) | Obesity 22.1 (33) | 0.06 |
| Neoplasms 7.9 (5) | Neoplasms 8.7 (13) | 0.52 | |
| Pulmonary disease 9.5 (6) | Pulmonary disease 6.0 (9) | 0.28 | |
| Diabetes 23.8 (15) | Diabetes 14.8 (22) | 0.16 | |
| Hypertension 46 (29) | Hypertension 39.6 (59) | 0.76 | |
| Cardiovascular disease 23.8 (15) | Cardiovascular disease 12.8 (19) | 0.09 | |
| Plasma exchange | 4.8 (3) | 6.0 (9) | 0.99 |
| IVIGs | 85.7 (54) | 91.3 (136) | 0.05 |
| No treatment | 9.6 (6) | 2.6 (4) | 0.12 |
| Response to treatment | Yes 77.8 (49) | Yes 86.5 (129) | 0.25 |
Abbreviations: AIDP, acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy; AMAN, acute motor axonal neuropathy; AMSAN, acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy; COVID, coronavirus disease; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; GBS, Guillain–Barré syndrome; ICU, intensive care unit; IVIG, intravenous immunoglobulin; MRC, Medical Research Council.
Bold values and * indicate statistically significant (< 0.05).