Guideline issued on sudden hearing loss

The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Foundation recently released a guideline on diagnosis, management and follow-up of sudden hearing loss in adults.

To help clinicians manage this condition, especially sudden sensorineural hearing loss, an expert panel reviewed 133 articles and drafted the guideline recommendations, which then underwent extensive peer review. In areas where data were lacking, the panel relied on expert consensus and clinical experience. All guideline statements were graded on strength and on the quality of the supporting evidence.

The panel made a total of 13 guideline statements in the following categories:

• diagnosis, including exclusion of conductive hearing loss, use of computed tomography, and laboratory testing;
• shared decision making, including patient education;
• treatment, including initial corticosteroids, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and salvage therapy; and
• follow-up, including outcomes assessment and rehabilitation.

The panel also called for further research into the use of steroids as salvage therapy as well as the potential for combination therapy in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss, among other areas.

The full guideline was published online March 1 by Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.