Study designs of evaluations included in the review
There was no explicit inclusion criteria relating to the study design, although case series were excluded. The review included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomised controlled trials (described as a parallel or historical control study design).
Specific interventions included in the review
Corticosteroids (prednisone) or corticotropin compared with a control group (not described). The drug dosages used were tabulated.
Participants included in the review
Children up to 16 years of age who had been diagnosed with acute idiopathic unilateral Bell's palsy were eligible for inclusion in the review. Trials with participants older than 16 years, and cases with congenital, recurrent, bilateral, or known etiological cause for facial nerve paralysis that were not analysed separately, were excluded. However, the actual studies in the review included individuals older than 16 years, with only one study conducted exclusively on children.
Outcomes assessed in the review
The studies had to report outcome measures using a standardised clinical scale or clinical examination. The actual outcome assessed was not explicitly stated in the review.
How were decisions on the relevance of primary studies made?
One reviewer reviewed the titles and abstracts of the articles identified by the search. Those classified as potentially relevant were then reviewed independently by two reviewers in hard copy. The full articles were then reviewed by the first reviewer against the inclusion criteria.