Preoperative antibiotic and steroid therapy and hearing loss caused by semicircular canal transection in pseudomonas otitis media

Objective The purpose of this experiment was to determine whether preoperative administration of antibiotics and corticosteroids can attenuate the severity of hearing loss (HL) with semicircular canal (SC) transection in a guinea pig model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) otitis media (OM). Study design and setting Prospective and controlled. Methods OM was induced in 64 pigmented guinea pigs by bilateral, transtympanic injection of PA. Two to 4 days later, 1 horizontal SC was randomly transected. In the 1st series, antibiotic therapy was initiated either immediately before or after surgery. In the 2nd series, all animals received preoperative antibiotics, and half received dexamethasone before surgery. Hearing was tested before and after surgery. Results PA was recovered in all ears. SC transection was associated with significant HL. HL was better in animals given antibiotics preoperatively (clicks, 16 versus 32 dB, P = 0.0220). Addition of preoperative steroids did not significantly further reduce HL (7 versus 14 dB for clicks, P = 0.6919). Conclusions HL caused by SC transection in PA OM may be attenuated with preoperative antibiotic therapy in the guinea pig.