title: Effect of single-drug treatment on idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In order to evaluate the effect of a medical administration for the sudden deafness patients, single-drug treatment for idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSHL) was assessed at multi-centers participating in the Acute Severe Hearing Loss Study Group sponsored by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects consisted of ISSHL patients who were (1) 20 years of age or older, (2) diagnosed within 2 weeks after the onset of hearing loss, (3) showing a mean hearing level of 40-90 dB at five frequencies from 250 to 4000 Hz, (4) previously untreated, and (5) with normal for age in hearing of the opposite ear. The drugs used in this study were ATP, alprostadil, hydrocortisone and amidotrizoate, which were administered intravenously, and beraprost sodium and betamethasone, which were given orally. Two drugs were assigned to each center, one of which was selected according to the code hidden in envelopes and administered for 1 week. The treatment after the single-drug administration was conducted at the discretion of each center. The hearing gain and recovery rate at 1 week after the initiation of single-drug treatment and at 1 month or over when the hearing level was fixed, were evaluated based on the criteria for hearing recovery prepared by the Acute Severe Hearing Loss Study Group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant difference in the recovery rate among drugs either at 1 week after the initiation of single-drug treatment or at the time of fixed hearing level. At the time when the hearing level was fixed, a statistically significant difference in the complete recovery rate was detected only between amidotrizoate and beraprost sodium.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From these results, we could not find any specific drugs recommended for ISSNHL. In evaluating the effect of the drugs, however, several problems in the clinical trial for ISSHL should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, Keio University, 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kanzaki
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Kiyofumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gyo
authors.forename: Naoaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yanagihara
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hoshino
authors.forename: Jun-ichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ishitoya
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Toriyama
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: Kazuo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murai
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakashima
authors.forename: Hideto
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Niwa
authors.forename: Yasuya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nomura
authors.forename: Hitome
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oda
authors.forename: Makito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okamoto
authors.forename: Tetuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shitara
authors.forename: Masafumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakagami
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tono
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Usami
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000527:Alprostadil / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001623:Betamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003973:Diatrizoate / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D003973:Diatrizoate; C048081:beraprost; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D001623:Betamethasone; D011464:Epoprostenol; D000527:Alprostadil; D006854:Hydrocortisone