title: Inpatient treatment of patients with acute idiopathic peripheral facial palsy: A population-based healthcare research study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the inpatient management for patients with acute idiopathic facial palsy (IFP) in Thuringia, Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based study.
  
  
  METHODS
  All inpatients with IFP in all hospitals with departments of otolaryngology and neurology in 2012, in the German federal state, Thuringia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients' characteristics and treatment were compared between departments, and the probability of recovery was tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 291 patients were mainly treated in departments of otolaryngology (55%) and neurology (36%). Corticosteroid treatment was the predominant therapy (84.5%). The probability to receive a facial nerve grading (odds ratio [OR=12.939; 95% confidence interval [CI]=3.599 to 46.516), gustatory testing (OR=6.878; CI=1.064 to 44.474) and audiometry (OR=32.505; CI=1.485 to 711.257) was significantly higher in otolaryngology departments, but lower for cranial CT (OR=0.192; CI=0.061 to 0.602), cerebrospinal fluid examination (OR=0.024; CI=0.006 to 0.102). A total of 131 patients (45%) showed a recovery to House-Brackmann grade≤II. A pathological stapedial reflex test (Hazard ratio [HR]=0.416; CI=0.180 to 0.959) was the only independent diagnostic predictor of worse outcome. Prednisolone dose >500 mg (HR=0.579; CI 0.400 to 0.838) and no adjuvant physiotherapy (HR=0.568; CI=0.407 to 0.794) were treatment-related predictors of worse outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Inpatient treatment of IFP seems to be highly variable in daily practice, partly depending on the treating discipline and despite the availability of evidence-based guidelines. The population-based recovery rate was worse than reported in clinical trials.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.|Facial Nerve Center Jena, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Plumbaum
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.|Facial Nerve Center Jena, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Volk
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Zentralklinikum, Suhl, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Boeger
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Südharz-Krankenhaus gGmbH, Nordhausen, Germany.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Buentzel
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, HELIOS-Klinikum, Erfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Esser
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, HELIOS-Klinikum, Erfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steinbrecher
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Sophien/Hufeland-Klinikum, Weimar, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hoffmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Klinikum Bad Salzungen, Bad Salzungen, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jecker
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, SRH Wald-Klinikum, Gera, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mueller
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ilm-Kreis-Kliniken, Arnstadt, Germany.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Radtke
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: O W
authors.initials: OW
authors.lastname: Witte
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.|Facial Nerve Center Jena, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: O
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9671-0784
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Guntinas-Lichius
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D020330:Bell Palsy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006302:Health Services Research; D006748:Hospital Departments; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Bell's palsy; facial nerve; guideline adherence; healthcare research; investigations; treatment