Guillain Barre Syndrome in the elderly: Experience from a tertiary-care hospital in India.

Age influences incidence and prognosis of Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS), common cause of ascending areflexic quadriparesis. Dedicated studies on elderly GBS are infrequent. This study aimed to describe clinical features and outcome at hospital-discharge in patients aged≥60years with GBS. Medical records of 70 elderly GBS over 15years were analysed. Mean symptom-duration was 5.78±4.5days and onset-to-peak 5.14±4.4days. Antecedent events preceded GBS by 8.07±9.9days and included: fever (n=19), respiratory infection (n=6), and gastroenteritis (n=5). Clinical features were weakness of facial (n=34), bulbar (n=13), extraocular (n=4) and respiratory (n=20) muscles and recurrence (n=4). Nine had Hughes disability score (HDS) of three or less. Sensory symptoms and signs included paresthesias (n=40), pain (n=24), and impaired kinaesthetic sensation (n=14). Laboratory abnormalities included albumino-cytological dissociation (n=50), hyponatremia (n=36) and elevated creatine kinase (n=18). Electrophysiological subtypes were: primary demyelinating (n=52), inexcitable (n=3), equivocal (n=2) and axonal (n=1). Fifty-seven patients treated with plasmapheresis (n=48) or intravenous immunoglobulin (n=9) had mean HDS of 3.53±0.7 at discharge. Twenty-one were ambulant (HDS≥3), one had persisting respiratory weakness and one died. Striking differences between the 'elderly' and 100 'adults' seen over 20months were shorter symptom-duration, higher frequency of facial palsy and hyponatremia, lower frequency of pain, lower mean MRC sum score and worse HDS at study-entry and discharge (p<0.05). Requirement for mechanical ventilation and cardiac autonomic dysfunction was higher among elderly (p:0.02). In conclusion, in this cohort of elderly GBS, there was a higher frequency severe GBS and demyelinating electrophysiology.

Electrophysiological observations in critically ill Guillain-Barre syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Respiratory muscle paralysis is a serious complication of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). Factors that govern duration and recovery from respiratory paralysis are unclear. AIM: To correlate electrophysiological parameters in critically ill GBS with duration of mechanical ventilation and outcome at discharge. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data of a large cohort (n=93; M:F 59:34; mean age: 33.51+21.4 years) of critically-ill patients with GBS seen over one decade was retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: The duration of mechanical ventilation was <15 days (n = 38), 16-30 days (n = 24), and >30 days (n = 31). Majority of the patients had a demyelinating electrophysiology. Reduced amplitude or absent motor potentials correlated with requirement for longer duration of ventilation. Inexcitable sensory nerves were more common in patients who could be weaned off from the ventilator within 15 days. There was no relation between the conduction blocks in motor nerves and the duration of ventilation. Low amplitude of median nerve correlated with a poor outcome at hospital discharge as assessed by Hughes disability scale. CONCLUSION: Distinct patterns of electrophysiological abnormalities are noted in patients and they correlate with the duration of mechanical ventilation. Future studies to unravel the underlying pathophysiological processes that govern the patterns of progression and recovery in the critically ill patients with GBS will pave way for the development of better and more potent therapies that will hasten recovery, when combined with the prevalent treatment modalities including plasmapheresis and intravenous immunoglobulin.

Refractory status epilepticus: a developing country perspective.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the underlying causes, therapeutic response and outcomes of convulsive refractory status epilepticus (RSE). METHODOLOGY: This retrospective analysis was carried on 98 patients with RSE (age: 16.9+/-14.5 years). All had received a combination of parenteral benzodiazepine and phenytoin or phenobarbitone followed by other anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). The clinical, EEG, imaging features of convulsive RSE and long-term seizure outcome were analysed. RESULTS: Seventy six patients had de novo RSE for the first time in life. The mean duration of RSE, before and during NICU admission was 3.4+/-3.2 days and 2.9+/-2.4 days respectively. The mean duration of NICU stay and mechanical ventilation was 17.4+/-14.5 was 14.4+/-12.8 days respectively. The precipitating factors included viral fever - 13, AEDs stoppage - 7 and alcohol - 1. EEG was abnormal in 81.5% of patients. CT and MRI were abnormal in 63.4% and 82.3% respectively. Thirty-four patients died and compared to those surviving, patients were older, had lesser duration of NICU stay and elevated CSF protein. Dependence for activities of daily living (ADL) at discharge was: recovered - 29, mild to moderate - 13 and severe - 22. Seizure outcome in 64 patients after 43.5+/-58.2 weeks were - seizure-free: 65.6%, one seizure: 21.8%, >1 seizure/month: 14.1%, and seizure recurrence requiring admission: 1.5%. After six and twelve months of follow up, the long-term seizure outcome were: seizure-free: 48.3% and 28.6%; one seizure: 27.6% and 38.1%; >1 seizure/month: 20.7% and 28.6%; and seizure recurrence requiring admission: 3.4% and 4.7% respectively. Among those survived 49 de novo RSE, about one-third developed post-SE symptomatic seizures after 30.1+/-54.4 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Seizures could still be controlled in two-thirds of patients with convulsive RSE. About 30% of patients achieved long-term seizure freedom.

HHH regime for arteritis secondary to TB meningitis: a prospective randomized study.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is a fairly common, debilitating disease and is often complicated by arteritis resulting in brain infarction. Few treatment regimes specifically address this condition. Hypervolemia-hypertension-hemodilution (HHH) regime is known to be effective for treatment of vasospasm complicating subarachnoid hemorrhage. We studied the efficacy of HHH regime in patients with TBM with arteritis using a prospective, randomized study design. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients diagnosed to have TB meningitis by clinical, CSF, and imaging findings were evaluated for arteritis, which was recognized by presence of focal neurologic deficits with or without corresponding focal hypodensities on brain CT scan. Patients with deficits of < 96 h were randomized to HHH or conservative treatment. All patents received four-first-line anti-TB drugs and Inj.dexamethasone. HHH therapy was administered over 3-9 days. Neurologic status and modified Rankin score were noted serially and at discharge. RESULTS: Seven patients received HHH and 5, conservative treatment. All had hemiparesis with power 0-3/5. Median GCS was worse in HHH group (11 vs. 13). In the HHH group, 6/7 improved in motor power, and 5/7 in sensorium. In the control group, 3/5 improved in motor power and 3/5 in sensorium. Four patients died in each group. CONCLUSION: HHH therapy is safe and may be beneficial in the management of patients with infective arteritis secondary to TBM. Further study in a larger group with improved monitoring of cerebral circulation is indicated.

Investigation of an outbreak of device-related postoperative ventriculitis: a lesson learnt.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P aeruginosa) is one of the most common nosocomial pathogens. We report our experience of a device-related outbreak of postoperative ventriculitis caused by P aeruginosa thus initiating investigation of the unusual occurrence. Five neurosurgical patients were affected, postoperatively. The investigations entailed extensive screening of the common sources of contamination for colonization of P aeruginosa. Sterilized instruments used for surgery, including the ultrasonic aspirator (USA) sets and other hollow devices, were randomly sampled and cultured. Conventional culture methods yielded P aeruginosa, with almost similar antibiotic sensitivity pattern in all the patients and the ultrasonic aspirator, clinching the source of contamination. Routine surveillance, identification of unusual patterns, molecular epidemiological typing would be helpful in quick control of outbreaks of postoperative infections.