Abstract | BACKGROUND: OBJECTIVES: METHODS: A systematic literature search was performed in relevant databases. Both randomized trials and observational studies were considered for inclusion. The risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane risk of bias tool (randomized trials) or ROBINS-I tool (observational studies). Meta-analysis was performed to investigate the improvement of PTA (dB) and number of patients displaying recovery following salvage ITC injections. Occurrence of serious side effects was investigated. Finally, the certainty of the evidence was evaluated using the GRADE approach. RESULTS: Eleven relevant studies were identified (4 randomized trials and 7 observational studies). Both observational and randomized trials showed that salvage ITC significantly increased the number of patients displaying recovery. No serious adverse events were identified in any of the included studies. The certainty of evidence ranged from moderate to very low, due to risk of bias, imprecision, and heterogeneity. CONCLUSION: Collectively, our findings indicate that salvage ITC treatment may be a beneficial and safe treatment for patients with sudden hearing loss, who otherwise are refractory to standard treatment approaches. However, the evidence level indicates need for a cautious interpretation of especially the magnitude of effect and thus the extrapolation on how much the individual may improve from this treatment. Furthermore, it remains to be investigated whether treatment outcomes may vary across different patient groups presenting with ISSNHL. This potential variation in treatment response should be kept in mind, when counselling the patient. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: The protocol is registered in PROSPERO. Registration number: CRD42019130586.
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Authors | Louise Devantier, Henriette Edemann Callesen, Lasse Rehné Jensen, Christian Mirian, Therese Ovesen |
Journal | Heliyon
(Heliyon)
Vol. 8
Issue 2
Pg. e08955
(Feb 2022)
ISSN: 2405-8440 [Print] England |
PMID | 35243076
(Publication Type: Journal Article)
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Copyright | © 2022 Published by Elsevier Ltd. |