Electric shock injury causing Guillain-Barre like syndrome-A case report

Electrical injury can cause serious multiorgan involvement leading to death or mild symptoms which can be transient. The neurological manifestations are due to involvement of brain, spinal cord and peripheral nervous system. The symptoms can occur immediate to electrical injury or may be delayed and progressive. The injury could be due to heating of tissues which is in immediate contact or due to electricity itself which can cause injury remote to the area of contact. We present a case of 32year old female who had accidental contact with a live wire. Immediately after the event she had benumbed sensation involving the right upper limb which was in contact followed by glove and stocking type of benumbed sensation. Two days later she developed motor weakness initially involving lower limbs both proximal and distal which progressed slowly to a bed ridden state over a period of one month with minimal upper limbs involvement . On examination she had flaccid weakness with generalized areflexia. There was Glove and stocking sensory loss for all modalities. VII and IX,X cranial nerves were mildly affected bilaterally. The weakness after the initial progression for one month, was static for 3 to 5 days followed by gradual improvement to near normal strength around the second month of electrical injury. NCS showed predominant demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy with minimal axonal changes also. She was treated with injection methylprednisolone 1gram for 5 days followed by oral prednisolone. We are reporting this case because of the rare presentation of Guillain-Barre like syndrome following electric shock.