What is the treatment for Guillain-Barré syndrome?

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Multiple Choice

What is the treatment for Guillain-Barré syndrome?

Guillain-Barré syndrome is treated with immunomodulatory therapy to halt the immune attack on peripheral nerves. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) or plasmapheresis are the mainstays of treatment because they remove or neutralize the autoantibodies and inflammatory mediators driving demyelination and axonal injury, helping to shorten the paralytic course and hasten recovery. Either approach is similarly effective, and the choice depends on patient factors and resource availability. Corticosteroids alone have not shown benefit in improving outcomes for GBS, so they’re not used as the sole treatment. In addition to immunotherapy, robust supportive care is essential—monitoring and supporting airway function, providing ventilatory support if needed, managing autonomic instability, preventing complications, and initiating rehabilitative therapy as the patient starts to recover. Antibiotics don’t treat GBS itself unless there is a separate infection requiring them.

Guillain-Barré syndrome is treated with immunomodulatory therapy to halt the immune attack on peripheral nerves. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) or plasmapheresis are the mainstays of treatment because they remove or neutralize the autoantibodies and inflammatory mediators driving demyelination and axonal injury, helping to shorten the paralytic course and hasten recovery. Either approach is similarly effective, and the choice depends on patient factors and resource availability. Corticosteroids alone have not shown benefit in improving outcomes for GBS, so they’re not used as the sole treatment. In addition to immunotherapy, robust supportive care is essential—monitoring and supporting airway function, providing ventilatory support if needed, managing autonomic instability, preventing complications, and initiating rehabilitative therapy as the patient starts to recover. Antibiotics don’t treat GBS itself unless there is a separate infection requiring them.

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