RESIDUAL HEALTH-STATUS AFTER GUILLAIN-BARRE-SYNDROME

To study the extent to which patients experience residual problems in daily functioning several years after having Guillain-Barre syndrome ( GBS) a survey of 123 patients who had had Guillain-Barre syndrome thre e to six years previously was performed, using the sickness impact pro file (SIP) for measuring functional health status and a functional ass essment scale (F score) for measuring physical condition. The patients were diagnosed according to the international criteria for Guillain-B arre syndrome and were at the time of diagnosis unable to walk more th an 10 metres without support. The physical SIP score correlated positi vely with final physical recovery (Pearson's r = 0.79). The psychosoci al SIP score indicated impairment in all patient groups compared with matched normal control values; they included the group with no, or mil d, residual symptoms (P < 0.05). No relation was found between clinica l variables related to the severity or duration of Guillain-Barre synd rome and residual psychosocial dysfunctioning, except for a relation w ith disturbance of sensation in the arms. In conclusion, in many patie nts with Guillain-Barre syndrome, psychosocial functioning is still se riously affected, even when they have physically recovered, or show on ly mild residual signs.