Cardiac arrest in Guillain-Barré syndrome and the use of suxamethonium.

A patient is described with severe Guillain-Barré syndrome resulting in tetraplegia. Artificial ventilation was necessary. There were signs of autonomic dysfunction such as systolic hypertension and excessive sweating. He developed fatal cardiac electromechanic dissociation after intravenous suxamethonium administration for a second endotracheal intubation because of respiratory failure.