Acute respiratory failure in patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome and myasthenic crisis treated with plasmapheresis in the intensive care unit.

We present the cases of two patients with Guillain-Barré syndrome and one with myasthenic crisis who developed acute respiratory failure and needed mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit. All the patients were treated with plasmapheresis, resulting in weaning from mechanical ventilation, and eventually complete functional recovery. Early treatment with plasma exchange shortens the treatment duration, whereas early intubation can prevent life-threatening complications.