Volume 29, Issue 4 pp. 1145-1154

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Increased mortality following Guillain–Barré syndrome: A population-based cohort study

Lotte Sahin Levison,

Corresponding Author

Lotte Sahin Levison

[email protected]

orcid.org/0000-0002-2210-6020

Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark

Correspondence

Lotte Sahin Levison, Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 165, 8200 Aarhus, Denmar.

Email: [email protected]

Contribution: Conceptualization (equal), Formal analysis (lead), Funding acquisition (equal), Methodology (equal), Project administration (lead), Resources (equal), Visualization (lead), Writing - original draft (lead)

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Reimar Wernich Thomsen,

Reimar Wernich Thomsen

Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark

Contribution: Conceptualization (equal), Methodology (equal), Resources (supporting), Supervision (equal), Writing - review & editing (equal)

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Henning Andersen,

Henning Andersen

Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark

Contribution: Conceptualization (equal), Funding acquisition (lead), Methodology (equal), Resources (lead), Supervision (lead), Writing - review & editing (lead)

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Lotte Sahin Levison,

Corresponding Author

Lotte Sahin Levison

[email protected]

orcid.org/0000-0002-2210-6020

Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark

Correspondence

Lotte Sahin Levison, Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 165, 8200 Aarhus, Denmar.

Email: [email protected]

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Reimar Wernich Thomsen,

Reimar Wernich Thomsen

Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark

Contribution: Conceptualization (equal), Methodology (equal), Resources (supporting), Supervision (equal), Writing - review & editing (equal)

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Henning Andersen,

Henning Andersen

Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark

Contribution: Conceptualization (equal), Funding acquisition (lead), Methodology (equal), Resources (lead), Supervision (lead), Writing - review & editing (lead)

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First published: 07 December 2021

https://doi.org/10.1111/ene.15204

Citations: 3

Funding information

This work received funding from the Bevica Foundation, teacher Svend Aage Nielsen Wacherhausens Foundation, Aase and Ejnar Danielsen Foundation, and A. P. Møller Foundation

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Abstract

Background and purpose

Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) may be fatal in the acute phase but also affect long-term prognosis due to irreversible sequelae and secondary medical complications. We determined the short-term, intermediate, and long-term mortality of GBS compared to the general population.

Methods

Individual-level data from nationwide registries were linked in this matched cohort study of all first-time hospital-diagnosed GBS patients in Denmark between 1987 and 2016 and 10 individuals from the general population, matched on age, sex, and index date. We used Cox regression analysis to calculate matched mortality hazard ratios (HRs) following GBS, assessing short-term (0–6 months), intermediate (>6 months–4 years), and long-term (>4 years) mortality.

Results

We identified 2414 patients with GBS and 23,909 matched individuals from the general population. Short-term mortality was 4.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.0–5.8) and 0.8% (95% CI = 0.7–0.9) for GBS patients and general population members, respectively, resulting in an HR of 6.6 (95% CI = 4.0–5.8). Intermediate mortality was 7.6% (95% CI = 6.5–8.9), compared with 5.8% (95% CI = 5.5–6.1) for general population members, corresponding to an HR of 1.5 (95% CI = 1.3–1.8). After the first 4 years, long-term mortality showed similar results for GBS patients and general population members (HR = 1.1, 95% CI = 0.9–1.2).

Conclusions

During the first 6 months after GBS hospital admission, GBS was associated with a 6.6-fold increased mortality as compared with the background population of the same age. Mortality remained increased for approximately 4 years following GBS, and then leveled off to a similar long-term mortality rate.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

None of the authors has any conflict of interest to disclose.

Open Research

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

Data are obtained from a third party and are not publicly available.

Supporting Information

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Volume29, Issue4

April 2022

Pages 1145-1154

Increased mortality following Guillain–Barré syndrome: A population-based cohort study

Abstract

Background and purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Open Research

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

Supporting Information

REFERENCES

Citing Literature

References

Information

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Increased mortality following Guillain–Barré syndrome: A population-based cohort study

Abstract

Background and purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Open Research

DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT

Supporting Information

REFERENCES

Citing Literature

References

Related

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