Study on clinical, subclinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of Guillain-Barré syndrome at Da Nang Hospital

Abstract

Objectives: To describe the clinical and subclinical characteristics and evaluate the treatment outcomes at discharge of patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) at Da Nang Hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study combined with retrospective data collection was conducted on 40 patients diagnosed with GBS at the Department of Neurology - Musculoskeletal - Clinical Hematology, Da Nang Hospital, from January 2024 to February 2026. Patients were evaluated for clinical and subclinical profiles, disability severity using the Hughes scale, and therapeutic outcomes at discharge. Results: The mean age of the study population was 52.95 ± 18.18 years, with a male predominance of 65.0%. Prominent clinical manifestations included tetraparesis (72.5%), decreased or absent deep tendon reflexes (92.5%), paresthesia (85.0%), and cranial nerve involvement (37.5%). Acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP) was the predominant subtype (62.5%). Albuminocytologic dissociation in the cerebrospinal fluid was observed in 40.0% of cases. Regarding treatment, 47.5% of the patients received plasma exchange (PE). At discharge, the majority of patients were at Hughes grade 3 (62.5%), and 52.5% achieved functional improvement (a decrease of ≥ 1 grade on the Hughes scale compared to the maximum symptom phase). The Hughes scores at admission and at maximum symptoms were statistically significantly associated with treatment outcomes (p < 0.05). Conclusion: GBS predominantly affects middle-aged males, presenting with typical manifestations of absent deep tendon reflexes, symmetrical ascending muscle weakness, and a predominance of the electromyographic AIDP subtype. The initial level of disability based on the Hughes scale is associated with the patient's recovery potential at discharge.