Outcomes among patients in the de qi and control groups at 6 months
| Variable | Mean (95% CI)* | Adjusted† differences of least squares means (95% CI)* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| De qi group n = 167 | Control group n = 171 | ||
| Intention-to-treat analysis | |||
| Complete recovery, no. (%)‡ | 150 (89.8) | 121 (70.8) | 4.2 (2.2–7.8)§ |
| Facial Disability Index | 191.8 (189.3–194.3) | 182.0 (179.6–184.5) | 9.8 (6.3–13.3) |
| Physical function | 98.2 (96.8–99.5) | 94.8 (93.5–96.1) | 3.4 (1.5–5.3) |
| Social function | 93.6 (92.2–95.1) | 87.2 (85.8–88.7) | 6.4 (4.3–8.4) |
| WHO Quality of Life (brief version) score | 340.1 (334.8–345.4) | 310.3 (305.0–315.5) | 29.9 (22.3–37.4) |
| Physical domain | 93.8 (92.1–95.4) | 86.2 (84.6–87.8) | 7.6 (5.3–9.9) |
| Psychological domain | 80.5 (79.3–81.8) | 73.0 (71.8–74.2) | 7.5 (5.8–9.3) |
| Social domain | 85.6 (83.9–87.2) | 85.6 (83.9–87.2) | 7.2 (4.8–9.5) |
| Environment domain | 80.2 (78.7–81.7) | 72.7 (71.2–74.2) | 7.5 (5.3–9.6) |
| Per-protocol analysis | |||
| Complete recovery, no. (%)‡ | 150 (94.3) | 121 (77.1) | 6.0 (2.7–13.6)§ |
| Facial Disability Index | 194.8 (193.4–196.1) | 185.8 (184.5–187.2) | 9.0 (7.0–10.9) |
| Physical function | 99.8 (99.3–100.3) | 97.0 (96.5–97.5) | 2.8 (2.0–3.5) |
| Social function | 95.0 (93.8–96.1) | 88.9 (87.7–90.0) | 6.1 (4.4–7.8) |
| WHO Quality of Life (brief version) score | 345.1 (340.5–349.7) | 315.0 (310.4–319.6) | 30.2 (23.6–36.7) |
| Physical domain | 95.5 (94.1–96.8) | 88.0 (86.7–89.4) | 7.4 (5.6–9.3) |
| Psychological domain | 81.7 (80.6–82.8) | 74.0 (72.9–75.1) | 7.7 (6.2–9.3) |
| Social domain | 86.7 (85.2–88.2) | 79.4 (77.9–81.0) | 7.3 (5.1–9.5) |
| Environment domain | 81.2 (79.8–82.7) | 73.7 (72.2–75.1) | 7.6 (5.5–9.6) |
Note: CI = confidence interval, OR = odds ratio, WHO = World Health Organization.
↵* Unless stated otherwise.
↵† Adjusted for age, sex, treatment centre, interval between onset of palsy and start of treatment, House–Brackmann score on day 1, and baseline score on the corresponding parameters (the scores on Facial Disability Index or its subscales, or the scores on World Health Organization Quality of Life, brief version or its subscales).
↵‡ Grade 1 on the House–Brackmann scale.
↵§ Adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals); adjusted for age, sex, treatment centre, interval between onset of palsy and start of treatment, and House–Brackmann score on day 1.