Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) Quiz
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Reviewed By:
Benjamin Kummer, MD (Neurology)
Dr Kummer is Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), with joint appointment in Digital and Technology Partners (DTP) at the Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS) as Director of Clinical Informatics in Neurology. As a triple-board certified practicing stroke neurologist and informaticist, he has successfully improved clinical operations at the point of care by acting as a central liaison between clinical neurology faculty and DTP teams to implement targeted EHR configuration changes and workflows, as well as providing subject matter expertise on health information technology projects across MSHS. | Dr Kummer also has several years’ experience building and implementing several informatics tools, presenting scientific posters, and generating a body of peer-reviewed work in “clinical neuro-informatics” – i.e., the intersection of clinical neurology, digital health, and informatics – much of which is centered on digital/tele-health, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. He has spearheaded the Clinical Neuro-Informatics Center in the Department of Neurology at ISMMS, a new research institute that seeks to establish the field of clinical neuro-informatics and disseminate knowledge to the neurological community on the effects and benefits of clinical informatics tools at the point of care.
Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)
Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.
Content updated on Jul 16, 2024
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Shortness of breath
Pins and needles
Muscle weakness
Muscle fatigue
Facial paralysis
Unsteady gait
Paralysis on one side of the body
Difficulty walking
Facial nerve pain
Drooping face
Facial weakness
Fine motor impairment
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People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
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- Lower left back pain
- Facial nerve paralysis
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- Can only wink with my left eye
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- Less muscle control on one side of face
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Try Free Symptom QuizWhat is Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)?
Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) is a rare nerve disorder where a person's own immune system attacks their nerves. GBS can cause symptoms ranging from mild (arm/leg numbness or weakness) to severe and life-threatening (inability to breathe, abnormal heart rhythm, very high/low blood pressure). The prognosis is generally good. Over half of people fully recover and 80% can walk independently at 1 year. However, a minority of people may have permanent nerve damage or need a ventilator to breathe, and the overall death rate ranges from 3% to 7%.
Typical Symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
- Weakness on one side of the body
- Common cold or stomach flu symptoms before the fever appeared
- Difficulty standing up from sitting position
- Unable to move my face
- Hands and legs became clumsy - I cannot do fine work with them
- Numbness or tingling in the toes
- Numbness of the face or mouth
- Numbness or abnormal sensation
Diagnostic Questions for Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:
- Are you experiencing an inability to move one side of your body?
- Did you have any cold or stomach flu before your fever started?
- Is it hard for you to get up from a chair by yourself?
- Do you struggle to control your facial muscles?
- Are your movements and coordination feeling more difficult or clumsy lately?
Treatment of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
There is no known cure for GBS, but treatment can relieve symptoms and reduce the duration of the condition. Treatment consists of immunoglobulin injections, which give the body the antibodies needed to fight diseases, and plasma exchange, which removes harmful antibodies from the blood. Rarely, intubation and ventilator support is necessary if the person's diaphragm is affected and they cannot breathe on their own.
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Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)?
Try a symptom check testSymptoms related to Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
Diseases related to Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS)
References
Shahrizaila N, Lehmann HC, Kuwabara S. Guillain-Barré syndrome. The lancet. 2021 Mar 27;397(10280):1214-28.
https://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140-6736(21)00517-1/fulltextChevret S, Hughes RA, Annane D. Plasma exchange for Guillain-Barré syndrome. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017 Feb 27;2(2):CD001798. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD001798.pub3. PMID: 28241090; PMCID: PMC6464100.
https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001798.pub3/fullMendell JR, Kissel JT, Cornblath DR. Diagnosis and management of peripheral nerve disorders. Oxford University Press; 2001 Mar 8.
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=NYURDAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR9&dq=Kissel+JT,+Cornblath+DR,+Mendell+JR.+Guillain-Barre+syndrome.+In:+Diagnosis+and+Management+of+Peripheral+Nerve+Disorders,+Oxford+University+Press,+New+York+2001.&ots=-Lb1YFY8gX&sig=fHj2OTuud63Icwd4IT_-yvOAlys#v=onepage&q&f=falseLawn ND, Wijdicks EF. Fatal Guillain-Barré syndrome. Neurology. 1999 Feb;52(3):635-8. doi: 10.1212/wnl.52.3.635. PMID: 10025803.
https://n.neurology.org/content/52/3/635.long
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Aug 30, 2024 (Female, 40s)
Reviewed By:
Benjamin Kummer, MD (Neurology)
Dr Kummer is Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), with joint appointment in Digital and Technology Partners (DTP) at the Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS) as Director of Clinical Informatics in Neurology. As a triple-board certified practicing stroke neurologist and informaticist, he has successfully improved clinical operations at the point of care by acting as a central liaison between clinical neurology faculty and DTP teams to implement targeted EHR configuration changes and workflows, as well as providing subject matter expertise on health information technology projects across MSHS. | Dr Kummer also has several years’ experience building and implementing several informatics tools, presenting scientific posters, and generating a body of peer-reviewed work in “clinical neuro-informatics” – i.e., the intersection of clinical neurology, digital health, and informatics – much of which is centered on digital/tele-health, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. He has spearheaded the Clinical Neuro-Informatics Center in the Department of Neurology at ISMMS, a new research institute that seeks to establish the field of clinical neuro-informatics and disseminate knowledge to the neurological community on the effects and benefits of clinical informatics tools at the point of care.
Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)
Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.
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