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Childhood Guillain‐Barré syndrome in Paraguay, 1990 to 1991
Author(s) -
Hart David E.,
Rojas Laura A.,
Rosàrio Joana A.,
Recalde Humberto,
Romà Gustavo C.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.410360609
Subject(s) - medicine , case fatality rate , pediatrics , guillain barre syndrome , incidence (geometry) , christian ministry , poliomyelitis , paralysis , epidemiology , surgery , philosophy , physics , theology , optics
During 1990 to 1991, through a national surveillance program for poliomyelitis, the Paraguayan Ministry of Health received reports of 50 children with incident acute flaccid paralysis (< 15 years old). On the basis of established criteria, 37 were diagnosed with Guillian‐Barré syndrome. The average annual incidence rate for 1990 to 1991 was 1.1/100,000 children. The clinical course was more benign than reported in other pediatric series. There were low rates of hospitalization (57%), respiratory compromise (8%), and intubation (5%). The overall severity, however, was similar to that described in previous reports, with a 3% case‐fatality rate and an 81% total recovery rate at 12 months. Seventy‐six percent of patients had symptom onset during January to April, the warmest months of the year. Thirty percent of patients had definite or possible exposure to organophosphate pesticides, and the peak use coincides with the peak incidence of Guillian‐Barré syndrome There was no correlation between occurrence of Guillian‐Barré syndrome and prior immunization.