Clinical characteristics and response to therapeutic plasma exchange in patients diagnosed with Guillain Barré syndrome in a third level clinic in the city of Cali - Colombia during the years 2016-2022.

Abstract

Introduction: Guillain Barré syndrome (GBS) presents a non-negligible incidence rate in low-income countries. Intravenous human immunoglobulin (IVIG) and therapeutic plasma exchange (TPR) are the first-line treatments. Aim: The aim of this work is to describe the clinical characteristics and the response to RPT in patients with GBS. Materials and methods: Observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study with analytical scope of patients diagnosed with GBS who were managed with RPT, in two service-providing institutions (IPS) in the city of Cali-Colombia, between 2016 and 2022. outcomes: 33 patients with a mean age of 57+/-16 years were included. After a median stay of 10 days in the intensive care unit (ICU), 75.5% decreased at least one grade on the Hughes scale, 12.1% required mechanical ventilation (MV), 27.3% presented some complication, and there were no fatal outcomes. Prolonged stay in the ICU was significantly associated with an unfavorable clinical evolution. Conclusion: The results suggest that RPT management in an institution with highly complex standards, with early diagnosis and early medical intervention, can contribute to an adequate clinical evolution. Prolonged time in the intensive care unit (ICU) is a prognostic factor to consider in the clinical evolution of these patients. Studies with an analytical design and a larger sample are required to support these findings.