Intervenciones de enfermería en pacientes con parálisis de Bell

Abstract

Introduction: Bell’s palsy (BP) affects the seventh cranial nerve and results in a reduction in facial movement. Therefore, nursing care aims to facilitate the patient’s physical and emotional recovery while preventing complications. Objective: This research aims to describe nursing intervention in patients with Bell’s palsy. Methodology: A literature review research was conducted, in which a search for scientific articles was performed. This search was carried out in the virtual library of the Catholic University of Cuenca, using documents selected from sources such as Elsevier, Redalyc, SciELO, Dialnet, Medigraphic, and Tesla. A total of 50 articles were found in the search, of which 10 were included in the introduction, 25 articles were used to address the research questions, and 15 articles were excluded for lacking high- impact information and not addressing the research questions. Results: BP is closely associated with viral infection by HSV-1 and factors such as obesity, pregnancy, hypertension (HTN), and diabetes mellitus (DM). Treatment may involve antivirals, steroids, vitamin supplements, and physiotherapy. If recovery is slow or incomplete, complications such as facial hypertonia, synkinesis, sustained muscle contraction, primary hemifacial spasm, and eye problems may arise. Conclusion: Based on the review of scientific studies, we may infer that this pathology does not constitute a threat to the patient’s life; however, if recovery is not achieved, it is important to consider treatment since complications may arise that affect only the facial appearance and, as a result, generate emotional consequences. Keywords: Prevalence, therapeutics, triggering factors, Bell’s palsy, nursing care.