Table 3

Overview of RCTs in children

Study	Number of patients	Design	Inclusion criteria	Results
Gürses et al 199544	18	Single centre quasi-randomised parallel group Supportive care vs 2 g/kg IVIG over 2 days	Resembling GBS criteria of Asbury 1990	The interval from onset to nadir, from nadir to improvement and duration of hospitalisation was significantly shorter in the IVIg group than in the controls.
Wang et al 200146	54	Single centre parallel group Dexamethasone alone vs dexamethasone and IVIg (0.2 to 0.3 g/kg daily for 5–6 days) vs dexamethasone and PE	Unknown	Significant earlier and better recovery in IVIg + dexamethasone group compared with dexamethasone alone and the PE group
Korinthenberg et al 200526	21	Multicentre randomised parallel group Supportive care vs IVIg (1 g/kg over 2 days)	Children able to walk without aid for ≥5 m	No difference in maximum disability grade but significantly earlier onset of improvement and lower GBS disability grade at 4 weeks
Korinthenberg et al 200526	51	Multicentre randomised parallel group IVIg 2 g/kg over 2 days vs 2 g/kg over 5 days	Children unable to walk 5 m unaided	No differences in both primary and secondary outcome measures but more often TRFs observed in short regimen group
El-Bayoumi et al 201145	41	Single centre randomised parallel groupIVIg (2 g/kg over 5 days) vs PE	Children who were ventilated	Children treated with PE had slightly but significant shorter time of mechanical ventilation

GBS, Guillain-Barré syndrome; IVIg, intravenous immunoglobulin; PE, plasma exchange; RCT, randomised controlled trial; TRFs, treatment-related fluctuations.