Effect of steroid, carbogen inhalation, and lipoprostaglandin E1 combination therapy for sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of combined therapy with steroid, carbogen inhalation, and lipoprostaglandin E(1) (lipo-PGE(1)) treatment and compare the results with other treatment modalities in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL).


METHODS
The study group consisted of 670 patients diagnosed with unilateral ISSNHL. Two hundred patients (DCP group) were treated with steroid, lipo-PGE(1) and carbogen inhalation combination therapy, 194 patients (DC group) with steroid and carbogen inhalation, and 276 patients (D group) with steroid medication only. The therapeutic effects of the treatment groups were evaluated 2 months after treatment, using pure tone averages. Siegel's criteria for hearing improvement were used for the assessments.


RESULTS
The overall recovery rate after treatment was 57.5%. For each group, the recovery rate was as follows: 67.0% in the DCP group, 52.6% in the DC group, and 53.9% in the D group. The DCP group had a significantly better improvement rate than the other 2 groups. In addition, the DCP treatment was better than the other 2 groups for patients: less than 50 years of age, with an initial hearing loss less than 90 dB HL, had treatment started within 1 week from the onset of hearing loss, had tinnitus or an ascending type audiogram, and/or had no vertigo.


CONCLUSIONS
Steroid, lipo-PGE(1), and carbogen inhalation therapy was more effective than the other treatment modalities studied for patients with ISSNHL.
Kim
Myung Gu
MG
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Masan Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Masan, South Korea.
Jung
Yong Gi
YG
Eun
Young Gyu
YG
D000280:Administration, Inhalation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000527:Alprostadil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D013256:Steroids; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; C011700:carbogen; D000527:Alprostadil; D010100:Oxygen