What Researchers Did
Researchers prospectively followed 56 blast injury victims from the March 2016 Brussels bombings who reported otologic symptoms (hearing loss, tinnitus, pressure, hyperacusis), treating them with steroids and advising HBOT, with follow-up audiometry.
What They Found
Sensorineural hearing loss was found in 41% of patients at baseline. At follow-up, 52.6% of those with sensorineural loss showed improvement. Tympanic membrane perforations and subjective symptoms also improved. There was no significant difference in hearing improvement between the steroid-only and steroid-plus-HBOT groups.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Blast injuries from explosions affect military and civilian victims worldwide, including in Canada. This study suggests that with good standard care (steroids, monitoring), most blast-related hearing injuries improve, but HBOT did not add significant benefit beyond steroids in this population.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
The study was prospective but uncontrolled; compliance with HBOT was not tracked, so patients assigned to HBOT may not have completed it, making group comparisons unreliable.