What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a matched control retrospective case series to evaluate hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) combined with intratympanic (IT) steroids as salvage therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) compared to IT steroids alone.
What They Found
There was no significant difference in mean post-treatment pure tone average (PTA) between the HBO2 group (60.3 dB) and the control group (53.2 dB). Similarly, no significant difference was found in mean post-treatment word recognition score (WRS) (42% vs 51%). The percentage of patients achieving serviceable hearing also did not differ significantly (33% in the HBO2 group vs 42% in the control group).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss who have not fully responded to initial treatment should be aware that adding hyperbaric oxygen to intratympanic steroids may not improve their hearing outcomes. Therefore, current standard salvage therapies without HBO2 remain a primary consideration.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection or involvement.
Study Limitations
A limitation of this study is its retrospective case series design, which may introduce selection bias and limit generalizability.