Human immunodeficiency virus and guillain ‘barre’ syndrome in intensive care unit patients

Abstract

The global picture of tuberculosis (TB) appears to be changing dramatically for the worse as a result of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic, there is evidence that most of the increase in the number of TB cases attributable to HIV results from reactivation as cell-mediated immunity declines.1 further, HIV infection s related to immunological status. Guillain-'Barre’ Syndrome (GBS) is believed to have an immunological basis. Therefore, it is reasonable to suppose that in the presence of HIV infection, the course of GBS may be changed. Out of a total of 155 medical patients admitted to the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) of the Harare Group of Teaching Hospitals (Harare and Parirenyatwa Teaching Hospitals), during a two-year period (1989 to 1990), with respiratory failure, 16 (9,7 pc) had GBS. This study was performed to find out if there exists an association between HIV infection and GBS.