Post‐traumatic stress symptoms in Guillain‐Barré syndrome patients after prolonged mechanical ventilation in ICU: a preliminary report

Abstract Thirty‐percent of Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS) patients require mechanical ventilation in ICU. Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is found in ICU survivors, and the traumatic aspects of intubation and mechanical ventilation have been previously reported as risk factors for PTSD after ICU. Our objective was to determine long‐term PTSD or post‐traumatic stress symptoms in GBS patients after prolonged mechanical ventilation in ICU. We assessed GBS patients who had mechanical ventilation for more than two months. PTSD was assessed using Horowitz Impact of Event Scale (IES), IESRevisited (IES‐R) and the Post‐traumatic CheckList Scale (PCLS); functional outcome using Rankin and Barthel scales; QoL using Nottingham Health Profile (NHP) and 36‐Item Short Form Health Survey (SF‐36) and depression using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD) and Beck questionnaire. Thirteen patients could be identified and analyzed. They had only mild disability. They were neither anxious nor depressed with an anxiety HAD at 5 [4–11.5], a depression HAD at 1 [0 – 3.5] and a Beck at 1 [0–5]. QoL was mildly decreased in our population with a NHP at 78.5 [12.8‐178.8] and mild decreased SF‐36. Compared to the French population, the SF‐36 sub‐categories were, however, not statistically different. 22% of our 13 patients had PTSD and post‐traumatic stress symptoms with a Horowitz IES at 12 [2–29], and an IES‐R at 16 [2–34.5]. Although severe GBS patie...
Source: Journal of the Peripheral Nervous System - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: RESEARCH REPORT Source Type: research