Acute generalized weakness in patients referred to Amirkola Children’s Hospital from 2005 to 2010

Background: Diseases that cause acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) often progress rapidly, thus may cause life threatening complications, therefore, their diagnosis and cure are important. This study was carried out to investigate the causes of acute generalized weakness in children referred to Amirkola Children’s Hospital, in Babol, Iran. Methods: In this case series, the epidemiological causes of the disease and clinical features of 15 cases with acute generalized weakness from April 2005 to September 2010 were evaluated. The data were collected and analyzed. Results: The mean age of cases was 4.7±3.5 years. The male/female ratio was 2. Twelve cases had Guillain-Barre syndrome, two with myositis and one with periodic hyperkalemic paralysis. Conclusion: Guillain-Barre syndrome is the most common cause of AFP in children admitted due to acute generalized weakness in Amirkola Children’s Hospital.