Sudden deafness. Experience at our hospital

: A retrospective study was made of 60 patients (61 ears) who were hospitalized for the study and treatment of sudden hearing loss. Data were compiled on the hearing loss and hearing gain after treatment. Hearing loss was unrelated with age or the appearance of vestibular symptoms. After hemodilution, steroid, and vasodilator treatment, 47.6% showed a hearing gain of up to 20 dB. The gain was significantly less (p < 0.05) in patients suffering vertigo. It also was less in patients who delayed treatment and in those with severe hearing loss in the high-tone frequencies, but these differences did not reach significance. The recovery period ranged from 2 days to 2 months, with 48% showing improvement in the first week.