title: [Multi-center study of clinical treatment on the flat type of sudden hearing loss].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of different treatment options for the flat type of sudden hearing loss.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, multi-center clinical study was carried out using internationally used standardized clinical research method. Patients with the flat type of sudden hearing loss between 18 and 65 years old, within two weeks duration, and without any medical treatment were recruited. Treatment options were randomly selected according to the designed random table.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From August 2007 to October 2011, 402 patients with the flat type of sudden hearing loss who met the criteria (account for 39.26% of the total number of patients) from the 33 hospitals were collected; the total effective rate was 82.59%, and no significant difference was detected between different treatments, (χ(2) = 10.95, P = 0.28). In the 402 cases, 139 were cured (34.58%); 118 were markedly improved (29.35%); 75 were effective (18.66%); 70 were invalid (17.41%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The therapeutic efficacy of flat type of sudden hearing loss overall is good; the treatment of improving the inner ear blood rheology and/or reducing blood fibrinogen has clinical significance; the therapeutic efficacy of using glucocorticoid systemically is good as well; there is no obvious difference between combination and single medication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Guo-hao
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ying-ge
authors.initials: YG
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Sheng-nan
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Chang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Jin-mei
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Jian-xin
authors.initials: JX
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Kai-le
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: De-zhi
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Bu-sheng
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Tong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D007758:Ear, Inner; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids