Browsing by Author "Gunarathne, K."

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Guillain-Barre syndrome of acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) type associated with herpes zoster: a case report
(BioMed Central, 2024) Wanninayake, L.; Rajapaksha, D.; Nair, N.; Gunarathne, K.; Ranawaka, U.
Guillain Barre syndrome (GBS) following Varicella zoster is a rare presentation and has only been reported in a few cases around the world. Of the reported cases, the type of GBS is not specifed in the majority, and where specifed is of the acute infammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (AIDP) type. We report a case of acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) type GBS following herpes zoster in a 27-year-old male who presented with bilateral lower limb weakness and left sided lower motor neuron type facial nerve palsy a week after herpes zoster infection.
Knowledge on first aid among non-medical undergraduates of University of Peradeniya
(Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, 2021) Gunarathne, D.; Hemakeerthi, C.; Hashoora, F.; Hemal, H.; GunathiIake, D.; Gunarathne, R.; Chavindra, D.; Geekiyanage, D.; Herath, H.; Gunarathne, K.
Introduction: Knowledge on first aid is paramount in modem day’s world. University students are one of the best group of advocates to spreading knowledge and implementing correct first aid practices in the society. Objectives: To assess the level and adequacy of knowledge among first year undergraduates of University of Peradeniya, to determine whether the knowledge differs by the faculty of study and to determine the sources from which students gained their knowledge on first aid. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out among 239 randomly selected first year undergraduates from 8 faculties in the University of Peradeniya, excluding the Faculty of Medicine. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. The adequacy of knowledge was assessed according to the marks obtained for the questionnaire. Results: Of the participants, 71.4% had adequate knowledge on first aid. There was a significant association between adequacy of knowledge between students and the type of faculty they belong. The adequacy of knowledge in students from faculties related to biology stream was significantly higher than the students from other faculties. (p=0.018) The commonest source of obtaining knowledge on first aid was family and friends. Conclusions: Knowledge on first aid among students from faculties that are not related biology is not adequate. Implementing workshops and training programs on first aid, tailor made to each faculty is recommended to improve the knowledge on first aid.
Sural nerve involvement in patients with acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy variant of Guillain-Barre syndrome with sural sparing at initial presentation
(Association of Sri Lankan Neurologists, 2023) Munasinghe, H.; Gunasekara, S.; Gunarathne, K.; Senanayake, B.; Mohotti, S.; Weerakoon, T.; Wanniarachchi, S.; Ravindra, S.; Ponnamperuma, M.; Wijayawardhana, S.
INTRODUCTION: Neurophysiological testing is a valuable tool in the diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). Sural sparing is a usual feature of acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP) type GBS. However, sural involvement has been reported in later stages of GBS. It is important to identify patterns of sural nerve involvement to differentiate GBS from its mimickers and to stage the disease. This research aimed to detect the pattern of sural nerve involvement in AIDP-GBS cases with normal electrophysiological responses in the sural nerve at the beginning. OBJECTIVES: To determine the location and timing of sural nerve involvement in AIDP-GBS. METHODS: This prospective follow up study included diagnosed cases of AIDP-GBS with preserved bilateral sural responses. Nerve conduction and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) were done on admission and weekly thereafter for four consecutive weeks. The last evaluation was done four weeks after the fourth study. RESULTS: All patients (100%) showed normal distal sural responses over the initial four weeks of follow up. They continued to remain normal up to eight weeks in eight patients (53.3%). Two patients had gradual prolongation of their sural SSEP on consecutive studies. One of them had gradual reduction of sural sensory nerve action potential and nerve conduction velocity along with the prolongation of sural SSEP latencies. The difference of SSEP latency increments in the left sural nerve of these two patients was statistically significant (p<0.05). The right sural SSEP latency difference was not significant. CONCLUSION: Sparing of the distal sural sensory response was demonstrated in 100% of AIDP-GBS cases during the first four weeks of follow up. More than 50% of the cohort demonstrated preserved sural sensory responses for eight weeks from the initial presentation. Two out of fifteen patients showed statistically significant proximal sural sensory pathway involvement with increasing SSEP latencies. This finding suggests that in some patients, the sural sensory pathway may get affected at its proximal segments or at the central nervous system before the distal nerve is affected.