Influence of patients’ and diagnostic results on the recovery time
| Parameter | Median recovery time (months) | 95% CI (months) | Log rank test p value* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | 0.298 | ||
| Female | 3.5 | 1.7 to 5.3 | |
| Male | 3.3 | 1.4 to 5.1 | |
| Side | 0.103 | ||
| Right | 4.4 | 2.5 to 6.4 | |
| Left | 3.3 | 2.2 to 4.5 | |
| Age (median) | 0.763 | ||
| <53 years | 3.6 | 2.3 to 4.8 | |
| ≥53 years | 3.3 | 0.8 to 5.9 | |
| Aetiology | <0.0001 | ||
| Idiopathic | 2.5 | 1.9 to 3.1 | |
| Herpes zoster | 3.5 | 1.6 to 5.4 | |
| Borreliosis | 2.0 | 0.8 to 3.3 | |
| Otogenic | 1.6 | 0.7 to 2.5 | |
| Traumatic | NA | ||
| Miscellaneous | NA | ||
| Interval onset to diagnostics (median) | <0.0001 | ||
| <6 days | 2.1 | 1.6 to 2.7 | |
| ≥6 days | 6.5 | 3.5 to 9.6 | |
| Severity at baseline | 0.004 | ||
| Incomplete palsy | 2.5 | 1.9 to 3.1 | |
| Complete palsy | 5.1 | 0.5 to 10.0 | |
| House-Brackmann scale (median) | 0.001 | ||
| ≤3 | 2.2 | 1.6 to 2.7 | |
| >3 | 4.6 | 0.2 to 9.0 | |
| Stennert index, at rest (median) | 0.002 | ||
| <2 | 2.5 | 1.9 to 3.1 | |
| >2 | 5.7 | 2.2 to 4.5 | |
| Stennert index, in motion (median) | 0.004 | ||
| <5 | 2.5 | 1.9 to 3.1 | |
| >5 | 5.7 | 0.5 to 9.7 | |
| Stennert index, total (median) | 0.015 | ||
| <6 | 2.7 | 2.0 to 3.3 | |
| ≥6 | 4.0 | 1.8 to 6.2 | |
| First EMG; pathological spontaneous activity | <0.0001 | ||
| No | 2.8 | 2.1 to 3.6 | |
| Yes | NA | ||
| First EMG; voluntary activity | <0.0001 | ||
| No | NA | 2.4 to 3.7 | |
| Yes | 3.1 | ||
| Pathological spontaneous activity in any EMG | <0.0001 | ||
| No | NA | ||
| Yes | 2.5 | 2.0 to 3.0 | |
| ENG ipsilateral normal | 0.008 | ||
| No | 6.5 | 2.9 to 10.1 | |
| Yes | 1.9 | 1.9 to 2.5 | |
| Blink reflex ipsilateral | 0.159 | ||
| No | 2.5 | 1.7 to 3.3 | |
| Yes | 1.8 | 0.4 to 3.3 | |
| Schirmer test normal | 0.119 | ||
| No | 3.5 | 0.6 to 9.8 | |
| Yes | 2.2 | 1.6 to 2.7 | |
| Stapedius reflex ipsilateral | 0.003 | ||
| No | 3.3 | 2.0 to 4.6 | |
| Yes | 1.6 | 1.3 to 1.9 | |
| Taste function normal | 0.060 | ||
| No | 4.1 | 0.1 to 8.2 | |
| Yes | 2.5 | 1.8 to 3.2 | |
| Vestibular function normal | 0.805 | ||
| No | 3.5 | 1.0 to 6.0 | |
| Yes | 2.5 | 1.7 to 3.3 |
*Significant p values in italics.
NA, not applicable, because the overall probability to recovery was less than 0.5 in this subgroup.
EMG, electromyography; ENG, electroneurography.