What Researchers Did
Israeli military and civilian doctors reviewed records for 90 patients (118 ears) who lost significant hearing after exposure to a loud blast or impulse noise (acute acoustic trauma), all treated with steroids and HBOT.
What They Found
Average high-frequency hearing loss improved from 40.3 dB before treatment to 25.0 dB after treatment across all patients (p < 0.0001). Patients who started treatment within 7 days had significantly better outcomes than those who started 8 or more days after the injury (21.9 dB vs. 31.2 dB post-treatment, p < 0.05). Both early and late groups started with similar hearing loss levels.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Acoustic trauma from industrial noise, firearms, or concerts is a real risk for Canadian workers and the public. This study confirms that combining steroids with HBOT within one week of the injury delivers meaningfully better hearing recovery, a clear reason for early referral to a hyperbaric centre.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This was a retrospective study without a control group, so it cannot prove that HBOT added benefit beyond steroids alone, and selection bias in who received early versus late treatment cannot be ruled out.