What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a case series with chart review to investigate the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in 86 patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) and 14 healthy controls between December 2007 and December 2013.
What They Found
Post-HBOT, ISSNHL patients showed significantly lower mean NLRs, neutrophil, and white blood cell counts compared to their pretreatment values (P < .001). Patients receiving HBOT also had significantly lower posttreatment NLR levels compared to those who did not receive HBOT (P = .036). A greater reduction in NLR after HBOT was significantly associated with higher relative hearing gains (r = -0.885, P = .001).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients with ISSNHL could potentially benefit from HBOT as a treatment option. This therapy may help improve hearing outcomes by reducing inflammatory markers.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was not conducted in Canada, nor did it involve Canadian participants or researchers.
Study Limitations
The study design, a case series with chart review, limits the generalizability and strength of causal inferences.