What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing oral and intratympanic steroids with or without hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) in 60 patients with severe to profound idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL).
What They Found
The group receiving HBOT in addition to steroids showed significantly better hearing levels at 500 Hz (p < 0.05) after 1 month and at 1 kHz (p < 0.05) after 3 months. Word discrimination scores also improved significantly more in the HBOT group after 3 months, with per-protocol analysis showing 66.4 ± 13.3 for the HBOT group.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients with severe to profound ISSNHL, adding hyperbaric oxygen therapy to standard steroid treatment may offer improved hearing outcomes. This could be a valuable option, especially given the typically poor prognosis for this condition.
Canadian Relevance
This study was not conducted in Canada and therefore has no direct Canadian relevance.
Study Limitations
The relatively small sample size of 60 patients limits the generalizability of these findings.