Guillain-Barre Syndrome: Manifestations, Prognosis, & Pathophysiology

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Short Essays
1 Clinical Manifestations, Prognosis, and Pathophysiology of Guillain-Barre Syndrome
Guillain-Barre syndrome is an autoimmune disorder that affects the peripheral nervous system (PNS) when antibodies attack the peripheral nerve epitopes, causing neuromuscular weakness (Barnes & Herkes, 2019). It is a rare disorder with a prevalence of 1-2 cases per 100,000.
Guillain-Barre syndrome is often preceded and triggered by an infectious illness such as lung infections or infectious diarrhea (Head & Wakerley, 2016). Patients experience a tingling sensation, which starts from their feet and spreads to their hands. Progressive and symmetrical weakness is also common and can be accompanied by numbness and back pain. The symptoms start to manifest within 3- 42 days after the patient has been exposed (Head & Wakerley, 2016). Some patients also experience paralysis and difficulty in breathing.
Most patients completely recover from Guillain-Barre syndrome. However, some patients die as a result, and others are left with severe disabilities (Zhang, Zhao, & Wang, 2018; Head & Wakerley, 2016). Additionally, patients experience fatigue, neuropathic pain, and postural hypotension even after regaining their sensorimotor. This can persist for more than a year after recovery. There is also a possibility of relapse, years after recovery.
Guillain-Barre syndrome affects the motor, autonomic and sensory nerves (Zhang, Zhao, & Wang, 2018). There are many forms/variants of Guillain-Barre syndrome. The most common form of Guillain-Barre syndrome is acute inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP) (Barnes & Herkes, 2019). In this variant, the damages by the immune system interfere with nerve signal transmission. Others include acute axonal neuropathy, cranial nerve variant, and Miller-Fisher syndrome (Zhang, Zhao, & Wang, 2018).
2 Hypovolemic Shock
Hypovolemic shock is a threatening condition that occurs when the body loses a lot of blood or extracellular fluid (Taghavi & Askari, 2020). This affects the heart’s ability to pump blood and oxygen to other body organs. Blood loss is usually caused by traumatic injuries that result in serious bleeding, vaginal bleeding, internal bleeding, and gastrointestinal bleeding (Taghavi & Askari, 2020). Extracellular fluid loss is caused by excessive diarrhea or vomiting, excessive sweating, and a loss of renal fluids, among others (Taghavi & Askari, 2020). This reduces the volume of blood in the body.
The signs and symptoms of hypovolemic shock include thirst, abdominal/chest pains, muscle cramps, cold/clammy skin, low urine output, dry mucous membranes, and confusion (Taghavi & Askari, 2020). In the case of traumatic injuries, the first sign is usually excessive bleeding from an injury site. Piras (2017) also reveals that patients experience rapid heart rate, hypotension, and multiple organ failure due to low blood circulation in the body.
Due to its severity and high potential to cause death, hypovolemic shock requires immediate management and treatment. Treatment depends on whether the shock was caused by blood or extracellular fluid loss. In cases of blood loss, treatment involve...