FACIAL NERVE TRAUMA

Course overview

FACIAL PARALYSIS IS A COMMON PRESENTING COMPLAINT TO PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS, EMERGENCY PHYSICIANS, NEUROLOGISTS, AND OTOLARYNGOLOGISTS. TRAUMA ACCOUNTS FOR 6-27% OF ALL FACIAL NERVE PALSIES, AND IT IS, THEREFORE, IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER TRAUMA IN THE DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF FACIAL PARALYSIS AS WELL AS TO HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW TO EVALUATE AND MANAGE PATIENTS WITH TRAUMATIC FACIAL PALSY. FACIAL NERVE PALSY SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTS THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND CAN HAVE OPHTHALMOLOGICAL, OTOLOGICAL, RHINOLOGICAL, TASTE, AND PSYCHOLOGICAL SEQUELAE. THIS ACTIVITY DESCRIBES THE CAUSES OF FACIAL NERVE TRAUMA AS WELL AS THE EPIDEMIOLOGY, PATHOPHYSIOLOGY, EVALUATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF TRAUMATIC FACIAL PARALYSIS. IT ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN CARING FOR PATIENTS AFFLICTED WITH FACIAL NERVE PALSY SECONDARY TO TRAUMA.