title: Defibrinogenation therapy for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss in comparison with high-dose steroid therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The efficacy of defibrinogenation therapy for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss was studied in comparison with high-dose steroid therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-eight consecutive patients with hearing levels > 40 dB and who had suffered hearing loss for < or = 30 days were enrolled: 40 patients for high-dose steroid therapy (PSL group) and 48 for defibrinogenation therapy (BX group). Hearing recovery was evaluated by grade assessment and by the improvement in hearing compared to the unaffected contralateral ear.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall hearing outcomes of the two groups were roughly equivalent. However, with regard to patients with initial hearing levels < 80 dB, the hearing improvement rate of the BX group was significantly worse than that of the PSL group (61.2% +/- 7.3% vs 88.7% +/- 8.9%; p < 0.05), whereas in patients with initial hearing levels > or = 80 dB, the hearing outcomes did not differ between the 2 groups. Three patients in the PSL group manifested hyperglycemia while no serious side-effects were observed in the BX group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results indicate that high-dose steroid therapy should be employed in preference to defibrinogenation therapy for patients with moderate hearing loss, whereas defibrinogenation therapy has an advantage for those with severe hearing loss, in view of its lower frequency of side-effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. suzuhyde@mb.infoweb.ne.jp
authors.forename: Hideaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furukawa
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kumagai
authors.forename: Etsu
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Kazuto
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: Yukio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Katori
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shimomura
authors.forename: Toshimitsu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D012103:Batroxobin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D005340:Fibrinogen; D011239:Prednisolone; D012103:Batroxobin