title: Sudden hearing loss: National survey in Spain.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of our study was to identify the diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in the different ENT Departments of Spain with respect to sudden deafness. We wanted to establish a basis to help to create a new nation-wide consensus, unifying treatment, diagnostic and follow-up criteria for this disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  We carried out an anonymous Internet survey, addressing Spanish ENT doctors nation-wide (n=2,029), gathering in 33 questions different aspects about diagnostic criteria, additional tests, treatment procedures and prognostic factors in sudden deafness, according to the different protocols and experience of the participants in the survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 293 Spanish ENT doctors (14%) took part anonymously. In relation to diagnostic criteria, is the most noteworthy was the requisite of a confirmed neurosensorial loss (91.1%) followed by "initiated in less than three days" (75%) and 3 consecutive frequencies affected (76.4%). More than half of the participants requested an MRI of the IAC/CPA (68.7%) and 88.2% used gadolinium in this test. The prognostic factor most frequently considered was delay in commencement of treatment onset (84.8%). As far as treatment of primary cases, most of the responders agreed on the use of corticosteroids (99.7%). Oral administration was the most widely used (66%), followed by intravenous (29.6%) and intratympanic (1.4%) administration. Ninety-two percent had not had any major complications with systemic steroids. Intratympanic treatments were used by 70% of responders for rescue in failure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In Spain there is currently a significant disparity of concepts regarding the diagnosis of sudden deafness, and more agreement as to using steroids as their treatment. This highlights the need to implement measures to promote a better approach, which would be homogeneous and consensual, to this condition.
authors: Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Fuenlabrada, Madrid, España.
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Amarillo
authors: Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Fuenlabrada, Madrid, España.
authors: Estefanía
authors: E
authors: Hernández-García
authors: Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Fuenlabrada, Madrid, España.
authors: Mayte
authors: M
authors: Herrera
authors: Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, Madrid, España.
authors: José Ramón
authors: JR
authors: García Berrocal
authors: Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona España.
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: García Arumí
authors: Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario de Getafe Getafe, Madrid, España.
authors: Enrique
authors: E
authors: Durio
authors: Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Hospital Universitario de Fuenlabrada, Fuenlabrada, Madrid, España. Electronic address: gplaza.hflr@salud.madrid.org.
authors: Guillermo
authors: G
authors: Plaza
mesh_terms: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000188:drug therapy; D003639:Hearing Loss, Sudden / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids
keywords: Criterios diagnósticos; Diagnostic criteria; Encuesta; Sordera súbita; Sudden deafness; Survey; Tratamiento; Treatment