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Health‐related quality of life in 794 patients with a peripheral facial palsy using the Fa CE Scale: a retrospective cohort study
Author(s) -
Kleiss I. J.,
Hohman M. H.,
Susarla S. M.,
Marres H. A. M.,
Hadlock T. A.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
clinical otolaryngology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.914
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1749-4486
pISSN - 1749-4478
DOI - 10.1111/coa.12434
Subject(s) - medicine , palsy , facial nerve , retrospective cohort study , cohort , quality of life (healthcare) , facial paralysis , pediatrics , physical therapy , surgery , pathology , alternative medicine , nursing
Objectives To describe the health‐related quality of life of patients visiting a tertiary referral centre for facial palsy, and to analyse factors associated with health‐related quality of life, using the Fa CE Scale instrument. Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting The Facial Nerve Center at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, a tertiary referral centre. Participants Patients with a peripheral facial palsy visiting the centre for an initial consultation between August 2007 and June 2012. Main outcome measures The total Fa CE score and the Fa CE social function subdomain. Multiple regression models were developed to identify factors associated with the total Fa CE score and Fa CE social function score. Results A total of 794 patients with a mean age of 47.0 ± 16.0 years were analysed in this study, of which 59.9% were female. The mean House–Brackmann, Sunnybrook, total Fa CE and Fa CE social function scores were 3.6 ± 1.5, 48.2 ± 21.2, 47.3 ± 19.3 and 55.5 ± 19.2, respectively. Increasing age ( r = −0.229, P < 0.001) was associated with a lower total Fa CE score. Female gender ( r = −4.422, P = 0.033) and increased duration of palsy ( r = −0.018, P = 0.041) were associated with lower Fa CE social function scores. Conclusions While counselling patients on what to expect during the recovery process after facial paralysis is an important part of any clinical visit, Fa CE score correlations suggest that female patients with chronic facial palsy and increased age constitute a patient category that may require additional time and attention to prevent or mitigate psychosocial dysfunction.