A team of clinician scientists have identified the factors that predict full hearing recovery, with the strongest predictor being treatment with steroids within seven days of a sudden drop in hearing.
The researchers from University College London Hospitals collaborated with 240 junior doctors and undertook the largest study to date of adults who were seen with sudden hearing loss across 76 hospitals in England and Wales. The team found that patients who received steroids within seven days were five times more likely to fully recover their hearing compared to those who were not given steroids, even after accounting for all other patient and hearing loss factors.
The team at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) UCLH Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) also found that only about 60 % of these patients were treated within this critical window. This led them to develop an online tool that can predict the chance of full hearing recovery in adults presenting with sudden hearing loss.
The SeaSHel recovery calculator, which is freely available online to clinicians, estimates the chance of full hearing recovery based on key patient and disease factors. The tool can help specialists and their patients make informed decisions about treatment and follow-up plans.
ENT Surgeon Nish Mehta, who led the research, said: “Time is of the essence when it comes to restoring hearing after sudden hearing loss. It is important that patients who experience a sudden drop in their hearing seek urgent medical attention. It is also important that the medical teams who first see these patients either arrange appropriate urgent specialist review or consider steroid treatment if the specialist review is unlikely to occur within the appropriate timeframe.
“Consultations between specialists and patients can now benefit from precise predictions on the chance of full hearing recovery if our free online calculator is used. This information can be used to guide shared decision making between specialists and their patients regarding treatment and follow up plans.”
