Abstract
Objective: INFα is a common standard drug for the treatment of hepatitis B and C. Although a variety of related complications have been discussed, possible ototoxic effects of this mediation are not well described.
Method: In a descriptive cross-sectional before and after study, 24 patients who received INFα for treatment of hepatitis B and C were included. Subjective and objective ototoxicity evaluations via questionnaire, high-frequency audiometry, and measuring transiently evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) were performed before, 1 week, and a month after starting the medication.
Results: Eighteen patients (75%) were male with mean age of 40 ± 14.4 years. In the frequencies of 4000 and 8000 Hz before (9.38 ± 1.0 and 10.7 ± 1.2, respectively) and after (17.9 ± 2.6 and 17.6 ± 2.6, respectively) 1 month (but not 1 week) of treatment, a significant difference (P = .001) was detected. A progressive decrease in amplitude of the OAE during TEOAE measurement in 1, 2, and 4 frequencies among 41.66%, 18.75%, and 43.75% were observed, respectively. Interestingly, all of the hearing impaired patients were males. Hearing impairment was statistically more common among older patients (51.6 ± 16 vs 33.1 ± 14; P = .002).
Conclusion: INFα may cause some ototoxic effects. Baseline audiogram, close observation, and TEOAE monitoring during therapy are recommended.
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