What Researchers Did
Researchers pooled results from previous studies to see whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) added to medical therapy helps people recover their hearing after sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
What They Found
This systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 studies (16 randomized controlled trials and four non-randomized prospective studies), covering 1,087 patients who received HBOT and 600 who received medical therapy alone, found that adding HBOT to medical therapy was associated with 2.61 times higher odds of hearing recovery compared to medical therapy alone (95% CI 1.86-3.68, p less than 0.001). In subgroup analyses, HBOT combined with systemic steroids showed higher odds of recovery than systemic steroids alone (OR 2.54, 95% CI 1.63-3.97, p less than 0.001), and HBOT combined with systemic plus intratympanic steroids showed higher odds of recovery than that steroid combination alone (OR 2.64, 95% CI 1.39-5.02, p less than 0.001). Both subgroup comparisons pointed in the same direction as the overall result.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss, this pooled analysis suggests that adding HBOT to standard steroid treatment is likely to improve the odds of hearing recovery compared to steroid treatment alone. The authors note that treatment protocols and how results are reported still need to be standardized across studies before firmer conclusions can be drawn.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
The included studies used varied treatment protocols and reporting methods, which the authors say limits how definitive the conclusions can be.