title: [Hyperbaric oxygen treatment in sudden hearing loss after unsuccessful medical treatment].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment in patients with sudden hearing loss unresponsive to medical treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-one patients (37 males, 14 females; mean age 37 years; range 9 to 63 years) with sudden hearing loss were treated with HBO following unsuccessful medical treatment. Time elapsed from the occurrence of sudden hearing loss ranged between 15 to 45 days. Treatment included two sessions daily for the first three days, followed by a single daily session, to make 20 sessions of 90 minutes. Treatment was discontinued because of early recovery in two patients. Audiometric examinations were made at the end of every five sessions. The patients were classified according to age, gender, and audiogram curves.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean hearing thresholds were 75.3 dB and 65.6 dB before and after treatment, respectively. Recovery was rated as complete in two patients (3.9%), moderate in two patients (3.9%), mild in 19 patients (37.25%), and as no recovery in 28 patients (54.9%). No significant differences were found between the patient groups in terms of improvement and hearing gain (p>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We propose that HBO be resorted to when other means of medical treatment prove unsuccessful in patients with sudden hearing loss.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Medicine Faculty of Cerrahpaşa, Istanbul University, Turkey. enderinci@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ender
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Inci
authors.forename: Ferhat
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Erişir
authors.forename: Mehmet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ada
authors.forename: Ozcan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Oztürk
authors.forename: Ender
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Güçlü
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oktem
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toprak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001299:Audiometry; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen