Demographic, clinical features and laboratory findings of 2020 COVID-19-positive patients with GBS and 2019–2020 COVID-19-negative patients with GBS
| 2020 COVID-19-positive GBS (30) % (n) | 2019–2020 COVID-19-negative GBS (17) % (n) | P value | 95% CI | |
| Gender | 73.3 (22) male | 52.9 (9) male | 0.21 | |
| 26.7 (8) female | 47.1 (8) female | |||
| Age | 59.2±12.1 years (median 59, IQR 51.5–61.3) | 57.2±17.9 years (median 57, IQR 43.5–73.5) | 0.64 | −10.9 to 6.8 |
| Neurological findings | ||||
| Consciousness | Alert 70 (21) | Alert 94.1 (16) | 0.052 | |
| Unresponsive/delirium 29.7 (9) | Unresponsive/delirium 5.9 (1) | |||
| Paresis | Tetraparesis 83.3 (25) | Tetraparesis 47.1 (8) | 0.018* | |
| Predominant paraparesis 3.3 (1) | Predominant paraparesis 41.2 (7) | 0.002* | ||
| Predominant upper limb paresis 10 (3) | Predominant upper limb paresis 11.7 (2) | |||
| Any limb paresis 3.3 (1) | Any limb paresis 0 (0) | |||
| MRC sum score | 26.3±18.3 (median 23, IQR 10–39) | 41.4±14.8 (Median 46, IQR 31–53) | 0.006* | 4.6 to 25.6 |
| Sensory impairment | Upper limb hypoesthesia 33.3 (7) | Upper limb hypoesthesia 23.5 (4) | 0.72 | |
| Lower limb hypoesthesia 61.9 (13) | Lower limb hypoesthesia 41.2 (7) | 0.37 | ||
| Upper limb paraesthesia 42.9 (9) | Upper limb paraesthesia 36.6 (6) | 0.74 | ||
| Lower limb paraesthesia 47.6 (10) | Lower limb paraesthesia 47.1 (8) | 1 | ||
| Hyporeflexia/areflexia | 96.6 (29) | 100 (17) | 1 | |
| Cranial neuropathies | ||||
| Olfactory | 20.0 (6) | 0 (0) | 0.08 | |
| Oculomotor nerves | 10.0 (3) | 5.9 (1) | 0.99 | |
| Facial nerve | Unilateral 26.7 (8) | Unilateral 17.6 (3) | 0.72 | |
| Bilateral 20 (6) | Bilateral 0 (0) | 0.08 | ||
| Bulbar nerves | 23.3 (7) | 5.9 (1) | 0.67 | |
| Dysautonomia | ||||
| Blood pressure | Normal 33.3 (10) | Normal 76.4 (13) | 0.012* | |
| Hypotension 50 (15) | Hypotension 11.8 (2) | 0.023* | ||
| Hypertension 16.7 (5) | Hypertension 11.8 (2) | 0.56 | ||
| Heart rate | Normal 76.7 (23) | Normal 100% (17) | 0.08 | |
| Tachycardia/bradycardia 23.3 (7) | Tachycardia/bradycardia 0 (0) | 0.08 | ||
| Clinical diagnosis | Classical GBS 90 (27) | Classical GBS 100 (17) | 0.54 | |
| Facial diplegia 3.3 (1) | ||||
| Pure sensory form 3.3 (1) | ||||
| Pharyngeal–cervical–brachial 3.3 (1) | ||||
| Electrodiagnosis | AIDP 76.6 (23) | AIDP 35.3 (6) | 0.011* | |
| AMAN 6.7 (2) | AMAN 35.3 (6) | 0.019* | ||
| AMSAN 5.9 (1) | ||||
| Equivocal 16.7 (5) | Equivocal 17.6 (3) | |||
| Normal 5.9 (1) | ||||
| CSF findings | Increased proteins/normal cells 33.3 (7) | Increased proteins/normal cells 66.7 (6) | 0.12 | |
| Normal 66.7 (14) | Normal 33.3 (3) | 0.12 | ||
| Brighton criteria | Level 1 26.7 (8) | Level 1 41.1 (7) | 0.52 | |
| Level 2 70 (21) | Level 2 58.9 (10) | 0.51 | ||
| Not classifiable 3.3 (1) | ||||
| Hughes disability score at nadir of GBS | 4.18±1.3 | 3.44±1 | 0.069 | −1.3 to 0.1 |
| ICU admission | 50 (15) | 17.6 (3) | 0.03* | |
| Comorbidities | Obesity 20 (6) | Obesity 23.5 (4) | 0.68 | |
| Neoplasms 10 (3) | Neoplasms 11.8 (2) | 1 | ||
| Pulmonary disease 6.7 (2) | Pulmonary disease 0 (0) | 0.53 | ||
| Diabetes 16.7 (5) | Diabetes 11.8 (2) | 1 | ||
| Hypertension 50 (15) | Hypertension 35.3 (6) | 0.53 | ||
| Cardiovascular disease 16.7 (5) | Cardiovascular disease 0 (0) | 0.14 | ||
| Plasma exchange | 6.6 (2) | 17.6 (3) | 0.33 | |
| IVIG | 83.3 (25) | 94.1 (16) | 0.39 | |
| No treatment | 10 (3) | 5.8 (1) | 0.68 | |
| Response to treatment | Yes 85.2 (23) | Yes 93.8 (15) | 0.12 | |
*Statistical significance, p<0.05.
AIDP, acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy; AMAN, acute motor axonal neuropathy; AMSAN, acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy; CSF, cerebrospinal fluid; GBS, Guillain-Barré syndrome; ICU, intensive care unit; IVIG, intravenous immunoglobulin; MRC, Medical Research Council.