Guillain-Barre syndrome following cardiac surgery. Difficult diagnosis in the intensive care unit

Abstract

Weakness of limb and respiratory muscles developing in the course of treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU) is commonly due to critical illness polyneuropathy, a complication of sepsis, or critical illness myopathy, a complication of the use of neuromuscular blocking agents and steroids. Guillain-Barre syndrome may rarely occur in this setting. We report 2 patients identified in our ICU in the last 20 years. Surgery was an apparent precipitating event in both patients. The clinical, electrophysiological, and cerebrospinal fluid features were consistent with this diagnosis. Both patients responded to treatment; the first case was treated with plasmapheresis while the other with intravenous immune globulin. Thus, while rare, it is important to identify this disorder in the ICU because of its response to specific treatment.