Efficacy of Multimodality Approach at Sudden Hearing Loss

Abstract

Objective: The etiological spectrum of sudden hearing loss is ample and ambiguous. The combined form of different treatment modalities geared toward the hypothetical etiologies given at once must work better theoretically . This study is a trial to see whether addition of intratympanic steroid to systemic steroid and hyperbaric oyygen treatment works better or not.

Method: Prospective randomized study in a tertiary referral hospital. Fifty-eight patients who presented with sudden hearing loss between 2008 and 2011 were enrolled into the study. Twenty patients who had received systemic steroid and hyperbaric oxygen composed group I while 38 patients who had received intratympanic steroid in addition to systemic steroid and hyperbaric oxygen composed group II.

Results: Posttreatment hearing improvement was statistically significant in both groups in terms of pure tone average according to Siegel’s criteria (P < .05). Treatment was successful for 55% of patients in group I and 63% in group II. Although there is an increase in success rate with the addition of intratympanic steroid, this was not statistically significant (P > .05). Regarding profound hearing loss over 90 dB, there seems a strong statistically significant difference. Treatment didn’t work in group I for a total of 6 patients (0%) while addition of intratympanic steroid to the protocol yielded success for 6 patients over 12 (50%) in group II (P < .05).

Conclusion: Addition of intratympanic steroids to systemic steroid and hyperbaric oxygen yielded better results, but this was not statistically significant in general. However, intratympanic steroid injection seems beneficial for patients with profound sudden hearing loss.