Incidence of paralysis due to Guillain-Barre Syndrome is on the rise

Islamabad
The number of paralysis cases due to Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) is on the rise for last few years in Pakistan. According to health experts, the disorder claimed more lives than dengue fever in the country in 2014.
Many health experts believe that the GBS has become one of the most common causes of paralysis in Pakistan after 2010; however, the reason behind its high incidence is still unknown.
Studies reveal that GBS is a rare disorder in which the immune system of a person starts damaging nerve cells causing weakness of muscles and sometimes paralysis. The symptoms caused by the GBS usually last for few weeks and patients recover fully however in few cases, it causes long-term damage. Medically, rarely patients die of GBS due to failure of respiratory system.
Recent studies show that the disorder has significantly high prevalence in north Pakistan, north India, Iran and Afghanistan and in Pakistan, it has started reaching epidemic proportions, said Medical Specialist at Intensive Care Unit of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Dr. Muhammad Haroon while talking to ‘The News’.
He added that in 2014, as many as 290 patients died of the disorder while around 766 patients ended up paralyzed according to data available at public sector hospitals in Pakistan. PIMS received a total of 566 patients with GBS in 2014 while Polyclinic (Federal Government Services Hospital) received as many as 132 patients with the disorder, he said.
It is important that as many as 206 patients with GBS received treatment from Benazir Bhutto Hospital in Rawalpindi, 251 from Holy Family Hospital while nearly 100 patients reached District Headquarters Hospital for treatment in 2014. The data shows that the incidence of disorder is on the rise in twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi too however, the reason behind it is unknown so far, said Dr. Haroon.
Studies reveal that anyone can develop GBS but it is more common in older adults. The chance of incidence of the disorder increases with age and people over 50 years of age are at high risk for developing GBS. The disease is usually triggered by an infection that provokes immune-mediated nerve dysfunction.
Many of the patients of GBS experience changes in sensation or develop pain, followed by muscle weakness beginning in the feet and hands that develops rapidly, between half a day and two weeks, said Dr. Haroon.
He said that during the acute phase of the disorder, patients face life-threatening conditions and not less than 25 per cent of like patients require admission to intensive care unit for mechanical ventilation. A few patients are affected by fluctuations in the function of the autonomic nervous system, which can lead to dangerous abnormalities in heart rate and blood pressure.
He said in majority of cases reported in the region, patients reported paralysis started from toes to legs and then back after which arms and chest got affected that led to difficulty in breathing due to affected muscles in chest. Unfortunately, the disease is usually thought to be a curse, cult or black magic and a number of patients waste a lot of time getting treatment by quacks that eventually cause death, said Dr. Haroon.
He said that awareness regarding incidence of GBS is very important and individuals should be informed that the treatment of GBS is available at the hospitals. The treatment is available though expensive by plasmapharesis or with intravenous immunoglobulin, he said.