Efficacy of combination therapy in adolescent and adult patients with total-deafness sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

BACKGROUND

Combination therapy is the first-line option for total-deafness sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL). Age may act as a crucial prognostic factor.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to compare efficacy of combination therapy between adolescent and adult patients with total-deafness SSNHL.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Twenty-five adolescent patients (adolescent group) and 106 adult patients (adult group) with total-deafness SSNHL were recruited. All the recruited patients underwent initial treatment with batroxobin, methylprednisolone, and gastrodin. After 10-day treatment, hearing outcomes were determined by pure-tone average measured by audiometry. Moreover, the total effective rates in the hearing recovery and improvement of tinnitus were calculated.

RESULTS

There existed no significant difference between two groups in the total effective rate of the hearing recovery (p = .110). However, a significant difference was found in the total effective rate of improvement of tinnitus between two groups (p = .016). Both adolescent and adult patients could receive the optimal hearing gains at 500 Hz (20.2 ± 13.3 and 23.1 ± 13.9dB, respectively), followed by those at 1000 Hz (18.8 ± 12.5 and 22.7 ± 14.8dB, respectively). Yet, adult patients could get better hearing gains only at 500 Hz than adolescent patients (p = .02).

CONCLUSION

Compared with adult patients, adolescent patients with total-deafness SSNHL undergoing combination therapy may be less likely to have hearing recovery and the improvement of tinnitus.