What Researchers Did
Researchers retrospectively compared 174 patients with sudden hearing loss treated with systemic steroids plus HBOT versus 127 patients treated with systemic plus intratympanic steroid injections, examining hearing recovery across six outcome measures.
What They Found
The intratympanic steroid group had a significantly higher overall recovery rate (80.5% vs 68.4%, p = 0.019). The difference was especially pronounced in patients aged 60 or older, those with very severe hearing loss (above 90 dB), early treatment (within 7 days), and those with vertigo.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian ENT specialists treating sudden hearing loss, this study suggests that combining systemic steroids with intratympanic injections may be more effective than systemic steroids with HBOT, particularly in elderly patients and those with profound loss. Patient-specific factors should guide treatment selection.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This was a retrospective study comparing two different treatment eras, not a randomized trial; changes in patient selection and diagnostic practice over time may confound the comparison.