New Guidelines for Sudden Hearing Loss Released

The American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation has released updated guidelines for the evaluation and management of adults with sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

The new guidance serves as an update to the group’s 2012 Clinical Practice Guideline: Sudden Hearing Loss. For the update, a group made up of representatives of otolaryngology–head and neck surgery, otology, neurotology, family medicine, audiology, emergency medicine, neurology, radiology, advanced practice nursing, and consumer advocacy was convened. The group conducted a systematic review of available literature, including in its final evaluation 2 clinical practice guidelines, 29 systematic reviews or meta-analyses, and 36 randomized controlled trials.

Among the updates to the recommendations:

• Distinguish between sensorineural hearing loss and conductive hearing loss when a patient presents with sudden hearing loss.
• Computed tomography should not be ordered in the initial evaluation of a patient with presumed sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
• Audiometry should be obtained as soon as possible (within 14 days of symptom onset) to confirm diagnosis of sudden sensorineural hearing loss.
• Corticosteroids may be offered as initial therapy to patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Chandrasekhar SS, Tsai BS, Schwartz SR, et al. Clinical practice guideline: sudden hearing loss (update) executive summary [published online August 1, 2019]. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599819859883