Author/Authors :
Khajeh ، Ali نويسنده Assistant Professor of Pediatric Neurology, Research Center for Children and Adolescents Health (RCCAH), Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahed , , Fayyazi، Afshin نويسنده MD,Pediatric Neurologist, Assistant Professor of Hamedan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran , , Soleimani، Gholamreza نويسنده Research Center for Children and Adolescents, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, IR Iran , , Miri-Aliabad، Ghasem نويسنده Department of Pediatrics, Children and Adolescent Health Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran Miri-Aliabad, Ghasem , SHAYKH VEISI، Sara نويسنده General Physician, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran. , , KHAJEH، Behrouz نويسنده Student of Pharmacy , Zabol University of Medical Science , Zabol, Iran ,
Abstract :
Objective
Bell’s palsy is a rapid onset, usually, unilateral paralysis of the facial nerve that
causes significant changes in an individual’s life such as a decline in personal,
social, and educational performance. This study compared efficacy of combined
prednisolone and acyclovir therapy with prednisolone alone.
Materials & Methods
This study is a randomized controlled trial conducted on 43 Children (2–18 years
old) with Bell’s palsy. The first group of 23 patients was treated with prednisolone
and the remaining patients were treated with a combination of prednisolone and
acyclovir. The required data were extracted, using an informational form based
on the House-Brackmann Scale, which grades facial nerve paralysis. The data
were analyzed with Mann-Whitney test using SPSS version 16.
Results
The mean age of the first and second group were 8.65 ± 5.07 and 8.35 ± 4.92
years, respectively, (p=0.84). Sixty one percent and 39% of patients in the first
group, and 45% and 55% of patients in the second group were male and female,
respectively. No significant differences exist between the groups in terms of age
and gender. The rate of complete recovery was 65.2% in group I and 90% in the
group II (p=0.04).
Conclusion
The results of this study showed that the combined prednisolone and acyclovir
therapy of patients with Bell’s palsy is far more effective than treatment with
prednisolone alone. Actually, age and gender had no impact on the rate of
recovery.
