Clinical profile and predictors of guillain-barre syndrome associated pneumonia: a retrospective cohort study

Pneumonia is a serious complication in Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) patients, associated with increased mortality, yet its risk factors remain underexplored. Our study analyzed clinical factors linked to pneumonia in GBS patients through a retrospective review of 101 individuals admitted to Tianjin Huanhu Hospital between January 2020 and December 2023. Patients were divided into two groups based on pneumonia development after admission: GBS with pneumonia (n = 19) and GBS without pneumonia (n = 82). Clinical and blood parameters were compared between the groups. Logistic regression analysis identified predictive factors for pneumonia in these GBS patients. Significant associations were found between pneumonia and older age (P = 0.01), bulbar palsy (P = 0.017), mechanical ventilation (MV) support (P < 0.01), hypoalbuminemia (P < 0.01), hyponatremia (P < 0.01), and underlying conditions (P = 0.008). Multivariate logistic regression identified bulbar palsy, MV support and hyponatremia as significant independent risk factors for pneumonia. Finally, GBS patients with pneumonia experienced longer hospital stays and worse functional outcomes. We initially identified key risk factors for pneumonia in GBS, highlighting its association with poorer prognoses.