Management of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss: experience in newly developing Qatar

Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a medical emergency that requires urgent diagnosis and treatment, and the adaptation of a proper protocol for management is a priority. In most cases, such treatment is rather controversial and depends on a variety of factors. The aim of this study was to determine and identify as early as possible those factors that play the important role in the prognosis of the condition, to describe the experience, and to suggest a treatment protocol that can be adopted in a tertiary hospital, such as Hamad General Hospital. Our study was retrospective and descriptive. It was conducted in the ear, nose, and throat outpatient clinics at Hamad General Hospital and the ear, nose, and throat wards at Rumailah Hospital. We enrolled a total of 21 patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. The treatment protocol that was adopted--consisting of high-dose steroid therapy, full-dose antiviral drug (acyclovir), and a histamine analog, betahistine--resulted in hearing improvement in 57.4% of cases. Then the possible good and bad prognostic factors were discussed. The results of our study revealed that the steroid therapy protocol practiced in Qatar resulted in hearing improvement in patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Good prognostic factors include early diagnosis, marked reduction of symptoms, and improved shape of the audiometric curve.