Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is an ear, nose and throat emergency for which systemic corticosteroids remain the first-line treatment. Traditionally, the standard regimen consisted of oral prednisolone at 1 mg/kg/day (usually 40–60 mg/day) for 7–14 days. In the study “Association between glucocorticoid dosage and hearing recovery in sudden sensorineural hearing loss”, published in the American Journal of Otolaryngology, Zhong Zheng and colleagues retrospectively assessed the impact of higher doses of glucocorticoids on hearing recovery.
The authors found that intensive regimens — with average doses of around 2 mg/kg/day and cumulative doses of up to 600–800 mg over short periods (up to 10 days) of glucocorticoids (intravenous methylprednisolone or oral prednisolone)—were associated with better short-term hearing recovery in patients with SSNHL. Despite the use of higher doses, no significant differences were observed in the incidence of adverse effects.
In terms of clinical practice, the study suggests that more intensive corticosteroid therapy strategies may be beneficial in selected cases, particularly in the most severe cases of hearing loss, whilst emphasising the critical importance of early treatment.
