Guillain‐Barré syndrome in France: a nationwide epidemiological analysis based on hospital discharge data (2008–2013)

Guillain‐Barré syndrome (GBS) is potentially life threatening and typically occurs after an infection. No detailed information is available concerning the epidemiological characteristics of GBS in France. We estimated age‐ and sex‐specific incidence rates (IRs) based on a French nationwide hospital discharge database. All patients hospitalized for GBS between 2008 and 2013 were identified by International Classification of Diseases‐10 code G61.0 as principal diagnosis. Patients previously hospitalized for GBS in 2006 and 2007 were excluded. Sensitivity analyses were performed by considering alternative case definitions, based on more restrictive sets of codes. A total of 9,391 patients were identified, leading to an overall crude IR of 2.42 per 100,000 person‐years (world standardized IR = 2.00). IRs increased with age, reaching a peak in the 70–79‐year age group. IR was 46% higher in men than in women, and 44% higher in winter than in summer. In children, the highest IR was observed at the age of 2 years. These patterns were not modified by the use of alternative case definitions. This French nationwide study showed similar GBS epidemiological patterns in adults to those reported in other countries. We also report a childhood incidence peak around the age of 2 years, as previously observed in Latin American and Chinese populations.