Efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy as an adjuvant in sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Systematic review

Introduction: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is a serious social health problem in modern societies. Although the direct mortality rate is very low, its influence on the quality of life is enormous; That is why the implementation of the most effective and safe therapies for the patient is crucial to minimize the risk of complications and adverse reactions to the treatment. Steroids constitute the basis of treatment, however, the use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in these patients has recently been proposed. Objective: To carry out a systematic review on the effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygen therapy as an adjuvant in sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Method: Randomized controlled clinical trials, carried out in humans, carried out in the last ten years were selected. The main database used was PubMed, through the National Library of Medicine platform. Results: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is effective as an adjuvant treatment in sudden sensorineural hearing loss. The total sample was 806 patients from eight clinical trials. The frequency of application of hyperbaric oxygen therapy was once per day, for 28 to 90 minutes per session, with a total number of sessions between 10 and 20. Conclusions: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy improves hearing thresholds and leads to better hearing recovery than standard pharmacological treatment alone in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss.