Bells Palsy RCT
Bells Palsy – Multicentre Randomised Controlled Trial
It is unclear if children with Bell’s palsy should be treated with corticosteroids or not and consequently guidelines are vague and practice is variable regarding steroid use. The Bells Palsy Randomised Controlled Trial aims to determine the efficacy of prednisolone as a treatment for Bell’s palsy in children less than 18 years of age, presenting to Emergency Departments within the PREDICT network. The multicentre randomised and placebo controlled trial will be conducted over a four year period. As the first appropriately powered trial of steroid use in children with Bell’s palsy the study will likely have a worldwide impact on the management of this important yet treatable condition in this vulnerable population.
Study design
Multicentre, randomised placebo controlled trial
Chief Investigator
Franz Babl (Royal Children’s Hospital; Murdoch Children’s Research Institute)
Timeframe
2015 – 2019
Funding
National Health and Medical Research Council
Emergency Medicine Foundation
Site locations
- Starship Children’s Hospital, New Zealand
- Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia
- Monash Children’s Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
- Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia
- John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, Australia.
- Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
- Sunshine Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
- Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital, South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Princess Margaret Hospital for Children, Perth, Western Australia
- Gold Coast Hospital, Queensland, Australia
- Townsville Hospital, Queensland, Australia
- Logan Hospital, Queensland, Australia
Sample
270 children with Bell ’s palsy will be randomised to each group
Clinical trials registrations
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