Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy - Hyperbaric Chamber Information ...

whose hearing loss was not secondary to other conditions. 95,98 One of the studies
conducted by Hoffmann et al 98 looked at a study population that experienced hearing
loss for a much longer time period than the other three studies.
Laterality of symptoms was described in only one study; 96 the others either gave no
details about this characteristic or did not consider it as a criterion for inclusion. Three of
the four studies 95-97 required some form of prior contact with the health system (through
previous hospitalisation or presentation at a clinic) prior to enrolment.
Table 59 summarises the criteria used by the collected studies.
Table 59 Patient criteria of included studies focusing on the use of HBOT in sudden deafness and
acoustic trauma.
First Author and Year
of Publication
Patient Criteria
Cavallazi 1996 95 Patients presenting with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
Vavrina 1995 96 Patients with unilateral or bilateral acute acoustic trauma.
Hoffmann 1993 97 (acute)
Hoffmann 1993 98
(chronic)
Patients with sudden deafness, with or without tinnitus, showing no improvement after 14
days of hospitalisation with conservative therapy (ie., infusion with hydroxyethyl starch,
pentoxifylline, cortisone) immediately after onset of sudden deafness.
Patients with inner ear hearing loss, with or without tinnitus lasting for at least six months
(and without any acute event within the last six months) and without otherwise treatable
reasons for their disease.
Interventions examined
The studies used similar intervention protocols (Table 60). In the two studies by
Hoffmann et al, exposure to HBO was accomplished in a multiplace chamber using a
“soft” session – 1.5 ATA for 45 minutes, five days a week. Vavrina et al96 and Cavallazzi
et al95 exposed patients for up to 60 minutes. Pressures of 1.4 to 2.2 and 2.5 ATA
respectively were used.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy 59