title: Sudden hearing loss: eight years' experience and suggested prognostic table.
abstract: The etiology, incidence, acute and late prognosis, and treatment of sudden hearing loss (SHL) are described variously in the literature. In an 8-year prospective study of 225 SHL patients, initiated in July 1973, overall, normal, or complete recovery occurred in 45% of patients and late otologic complications in 28%. Important prognostic indicators were severity of initial hearing loss and vertigo, time to initial audiogram, and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate; other indicators were age greater than 60 and less than 15 years, midfrequency audiogram configuration, and hearing status of the opposite ear. A common inflammatory cause is suggested for all degrees of severity in SHL, and a prognostic table is provided to aid the practitioner in predicting recovery. There is still no evidence that treatment achieves a result better than expected with spontaneous recovery.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001778:Blood Coagulation Disorders / Q000150:complications; D002648:Child; D003051:Cochlea / Q000473:pathology; D003391:Cranial Nerves / Q000503:physiopathology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006493:Heparin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000150:complications; D008875:Middle Aged; D010208:Papaverine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011379:Prognosis; D012698:Serologic Tests; D014717:Vertigo / Q000150:complications
chemical_list: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D006493:Heparin; D010208:Papaverine