title: Bell's palsy. A prospective, longitudinal, descriptive, and observational analysis of prognosis factors for recovery in Mexican patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the prognosis factors in Mexican patients with Bell's palsy.
  
  
  METHODS
  
  
  
  METHODS
  We designed a prospective, longitudinal, descriptive, and observational analysis. Two hundred and fifty one patients diagnosed with Bell's palsy at the National Institute of Rehabilitation were included. We studied the sociodemographic characteristics, seasonal occurrence, sidedness, symptoms, and therapeutic options to determine the prognostic factors for their recovery.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-nine percent of patients had a complete recovery and 41.5% had an incomplete recovery. Marital status, gender, etiology, symptoms, sidedness, House-Brackmann grade, and treatments did not represent significant prognostic factors for recovery. Age > 40 years (OR = 2.4, IC 95% 1.3-4.3, p = 0.002) and lack of physical therapy (OR = 6.4, IC 95% 1.4-29.6, p = 0.006) were significant prognostic factors for incomplete recovery. Familial palsy resulted to be a protective prognostic factor against an incomplete recovery (OR = 0.54, IC 95% 0.28-1.01, p = 0.039). This protection factor was only significant in female patients (OR = 0.41, p = 0.22) but not in male patients (OR = 1.0, p = 0.61).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The proportion of cases with incomplete recovery was high. The age > 40 years and lack of physical therapy were the only significant prognostic factors for an incomplete recovery.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Bioquímica Muscular, Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación, México, DF. lchapul@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Chapul
authors.forename: Susana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reyes-Cadena
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Andrade-Cabrera
authors.forename: Irma A
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Carrillo-Soto
authors.forename: Saúl R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: León-Hernández
authors.forename: Rogelio
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Paniagua-Pérez
authors.forename: Hiram
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Olivera-Díaz
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Baños-Mendoza
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Flores-Mondragón
authors.forename: Norma A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Hernández-Campos
mesh_terms: D000047:Academies and Institutes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020330:Bell Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015897:Comorbidity; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008685:Meteorological Concepts; D008800:Mexico / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult