Clinical and functional description of hospitalized patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome in a Chilean university hospital (2020-2024): a descriptive study English

Abstract

Introduction: Guillain-Barré syndrome is the most common cause of acute flaccid paralysis. Although survival is high, a relevant proportion of patients presents functional limitations at hospital discharge, with implications for reha- bilitation. Objective: To describe the clinical and functional profile of patients hospitalized with Guillain-Barré syndrome in a Chilean university hospital. Materials or Patients and Methods: Observational, descriptive, and retros- pective study based on the review of medical records of patients hospitalized between 2020 and 2024. Demographic, clinical, and functional variables were analyzed, including muscle strength (Medical Research Council sum score), disability (Guillain-Barré Disability Score), pain, and support requirements. Prognostic scores EGRIS and EGOS were evaluated. The performance of EGRIS was assessed using a ROC curve. Results: A total of 33 patients were included, with a median age of 58 years (range: 20-89) and a median hospital stay of 26 days (range: 5-516). Axonal variants accounted for 51.5% of cases. Mechanical ventilation was required in 24.2% of patients, and 75% experien- ced pain during hospitalization. MRC scores improved significantly between admission and discharge (p = 0.0007). At discharge, 37.5% of patients were unable to walk independently, and 60.7% had moderate to severe disability (GDS > 3). EGRIS showed good discriminative ability (AUC 0.815; 95% CI: 0.61-0.96). Conclusions: Although neurological improvement occurs during hospitalization, it does not necessarily translate into functional recovery at discharge, highlighting the need for early rehabilitation and continuity of care.