Guilliain Barre Flashcards
What is guillian-barre
- an autoimmune disorder of the peripheral nervous system causing progressive weakness with diminished/absent tendon reflexes.
- Acute, inflammatory, demyelinating,
polyradiculoneuropathy presenting as rapid loss of myelin
etiology of Guillian-Barre
Unknown, associated
with an autoimmune attack,
usually occurs after recovery
from an infectious illness
GBS pathophysiology
- Inflammatory process affects the Schwann cells.
- Macrophages attack Schwann cells resulting in primary demyelination of the axon
while usually leaving the axon intact. - Affects sensory, motor and
autonomic systems. - Remyelination occurs rapidly.
Patient may experience secondary….
axonal damage due to
lymphocytic infiltration and cyto destructive events in the axon occur resulting in Wallerian denervation of the distal axon
GBS is the largest single cause of what?
acute neuromusculature paralysis
GBS SxS
- Acute demyelination of both cranial and peripheral
nerves/nerve roots - Sensory loss, paresthesias (tingling, burning) pain; Sensory loss usually not as significant as motor loss
- Motor paresis or paralysis: relative symmetrical distribution of weakness, may produce full quadriplegia with respiratory failure if not treated
- Dysarthria, dysphagia, diplopia, and facial weakness may develop in more severe cases
GBS Progression
Progression of symptoms usually over a few days or weeks, usually ascending symptoms; recovery slow (months to 2 years) but most regain function; 10-20% have severe disability, 5% mortality
Medical management of GBS
plasmapheresis, IVIG
Interventions in the acute phase of GBS
respiratory care, passive movements, positioning, splinting, and gentle progressive strengthening exercises
interventions in the post-acute stage of GBS
more intensive strengthening and functional activities
Factors associated with poorer outcome
- Requirement for respiratory support
- Abnormal peripheral nerve function
- No plasmapheresis or intravenous immune globulin performed
- Subgroup of GBS with primary axonal degeneration
- Patients with rapid onset
- Progression to quadriplegia
- Respiratory dependence
- Severe disease at presentation
- Patients showing no improvement at 3 weeks of plateau of disease.
Treatment of fatigue
- central fatigue related to decreased number of remaining motor units
- management: energy conservation techniques, lifestyle changes, pacing, regular periods of naps during the day and improvement of sleep
- exercise programs
Treatment of sensory loss
education of the patient and preventative program
symptoms of autonomic dysfunction and pain
decreased sweating, orthostatic hypotension, gastro paresis, constipation, vomiting, diarrhea, impotence, and flaccid urinary bladder
treatment of neurogenic bladder and bowel
pelvic floor training
treating physical deconditioning
- Avoid overwork
- overwork may be due to several factors: due to transmission problems, there are fewer numbers of successfully recruited muscle fibers available to produce significant forces for function OR increased force production in a muscle
excess muscle activity may occur due to:
- spotty/patchy demyelination
- abnormal remyelination
- partial denervation
Overwork symptoms
delayed onset muscle soreness, peaking between days 1 and 5 post activity and a reduction in maximum force production that gradually recovers.
Caused by an inflammatory process resulting in a secondary muscle injury.
When treating physical deconditioning, what type of muscle contraction should you avoid?
- eccentric
- greatest probability of injury
- only eccentrically train to resist muscle damage
When training physical deconditioning, what should you do?
wait until the musculature is antigravity strength before stressing
- should be progressed to antigravity exercises once they are able to move the limb against a resistance equal to the mass of the limb
when should ambulation begin?
when the patient has at least a fair grade in the lower extremity musculature
Assessment of overuse weakness
- Rest intervals, objective testing of strength, and evaluating complaints of muscle soreness are required.
- Therapist should at minimum assess the patient’s strength and muscle soreness complaints from one day to the next or evaluate the
patient after a weekend of no therapy.
What type of strength training should be performed?
sub maximal with minimal numbers of repetitions
Aerobic training
- carefully monitor for appropriate physiological responses
- patient may experience autonomic involvement
- work the patent to a moderate exercise intensity level using Borg