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Table 1 Clinical features of GBS following COVID-19 infection in different countries

From: Is there a causal nexus between COVID-19 infection, COVID-19 vaccination, and Guillain-Barré syndrome?

GBS features

All (n = 204)

Italy (n = 80)

UK (n = 41)

USA (n = 30)

Spain (n = 25)

Iran (n = 16)

India (n = 12)

Demographics

       

 Age (years), median (IQR)

57 (48–65)

62 (55–72)

57 (43–60.75)

55 (48–67)

54.5 (51.75–64.75)

46.5 (37.75–65)

48.5 (33–55)

 Male: female ratio

144/60 (2.4)

57/23 (2.5)

36/5 (7.2)

20/10 (2)

14/11 (1.3)

9/7 (1.3)

8/4 (2)

Clinical features

       

 The interval from onset of COVID symptoms to neurological symptoms (days), median (IQR)

13.5 (7–20)

13.5 (10–20)

13 (6.5–20.25)

17.5 (9.5–41.5)

11 (6.25–15.75)

14 (9.5–21)

7.5 (5–10)

 Limb weakness (%)

166/192 (86)

66/80 (83)

38/41 (93)

26/30 (87)

8/13 (62)

14/16 (88)

12/12 (100)

 Sensory disturbances (%)

87/143 (61)

15/33 (46)

29/41 (71)

19/30 (63)

8/14 (57)

11/16 (69)

5/12 (42)

Cranial nerve involvement (%)

102/185 (55)

51/80 (64)

19/41 (46)

12/30 (40)

9/14(64)

7/16(44)

4/12(33)

 Ophthalmoplegia

18/158 (11)

8/80 (10)

2/15 (13)

6/30 (20)

2/14 (14)

0/16 (0)

0/12 (0)

 Facial weakness

67/159 (42)

36/80 (45)

6/15 (40)

8/30 (27)

7/14 (50)

6/16 (37.5)

3/12 (25)

 Bulbar weakness

45/161 (28)

17/80 (21)

8/15 (53)

8/30 (27)

6/14 (43)

4/16 (25)

3/12 (25)

 Other

30/161 (19)

19/80 (24)

2/15 (13)

6/30 (20)

2/14 (14)

0/16 (0)

1/12 (8)

Autonomic dysfunction (%)

35/137 (25)

12/63 (19)

6/16 (38)

10/30 (33)

1/14 (7)

5/16 (31)

3/12 (25)

Areflexia or Hyporeflexia (%)

142/148 (96)

60/63 (95)

15/16 (94)

27/30 (90)

13/14 (93)

16/16 (100)

11/12 (92)

Ventilator dependency (%)

56/170 (33)

21/63 (33)

13/41 (32)

10/30 (33)

4/14 (29)

6/16 (37.5)

2/12 (17)

GBS subtypes (%)

       

 AIDP

91/150 (61)

51/78 (65)

17/21 (81)

5/16 (31)

6/12 (50)

7/12 (58)

5/11 (45)

 AMAN

16/150 (11)

8/78 (10)

1/21 (5)

1/16 (6)

0/12 (0)

3/12 (25)

3/11 (27)

 AMSAN

13/150 (9)

4/78 (5)

1/21 (5)

3/16 (19)

1/12 (8)

2/12 (17)

2/11 (18)

 Miller Fisher syndrome

19/150 (13)

8/78 (10)

2/21 (9)

6/16 (38)

3/12 (25)

0/12 (0)

0/11 (0)

 Other

11/150 (7)

7/78 (9)

0/21 (0)

1/16 (6)

2/12 (17)

0/12 (0)

1/11 (9)

Nerve conduction studies (%)

       

 Demyelination

95/157 (61)

54/76 (71)

17/36 (47)

6/10 (60)

7/10 (70)

6/13 (46)

5/12 (42)

 Axonal damage

32/157 (20)

14/76 (18)

3/36 (8)

4/10 (40)

1/10 (10)

5/13 (38)

5/12 (42)

 Mixed demyelination and axonal damage

30/157 (19)

8/76 (10)

16/36 (44)

0/10 (0)

2/10 (20)

2/13 (15)

2/12 (17)

Laboratory tests (%)

       

 CSF albumin-cytological dissociation

93/134 (70)

27/51 (53)

11/14 (79)

20/24 (83)

15/23 (65)

10/11 (91)

10/11 (91)

 Anti-ganglioside antibodies in serum or CSF

8/65 (12)

2/28 (7)

0/4 (0)

4/15 (27)

2/10 (20)

0/1 (0)

0/7 (0)

Treatments (%)

       

 IVIG

155/175 (89)

70/75 (93)

32/32 (100)

22/30 (73)

11/12 (92)

10/15 (67)

10/11 (91)

 Plasma exchange

24/175 (14)

7/75 (9)

1/32 (3)

11/30 (37)

0/12 (0)

4/15 (27)

1/11 (9)

 Corticosteroids

9/175 (5)

4/75 (5)

0/32 (0)

3/30 (10)

1/12 (8)

1/15 (7)

0/11 (0)

Outcomes (%)

       

 Recovery^

150/193 (78)

63/80 (79)

32/41 (78)

24/30 (80)

10/14 (71)

11/16 (69)

10/12 (83)

 Residual problems#

33/193 (17)

15/80 (19)

8/41 (20)

4/30 (13)

3/14 (21)

2/16 (12.5)

1/12 (8)

 Mortality

10/193 (5)

2/80 (2.5)

1/41 (2.4)

2/27 (7)

1/14 (7)

3/16 (19)

1/12 (8)

  1. ^ able to walk independently or symptoms improvement; # unable to walk independently, disability, activity limitations, ventilator dependency, or severe persistent pain and fatigue; Other cranial nerve involvement: facial paresthesia or hypoglossal nerve palsy
  2. Other GBS subtypes: acute sensory neuropathy, acute panautonomic neuropathy, pharyngeal-cervical-brachial weakness, paraparetic GBS, or other variants
  3. GBS Guillain-Barré syndrome, COVID-19 coronavirus disease 2019, UK United Kingdom, USA the United States of America, AIDP acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculopathy, AMAN, acute motor axonal neuropathy, AMSAN acute motor and sensory axonal neuropathy, CSF Cerebrospinal Fluid, IVIG Intravenous immunoglobulin