OTOTOXICITY OF DRUGS USED IN THE TREATMENT OF COVID-19.

Background: Actual level of knowledge of treatment of COVID-19 disease caused by a type of coronavirus is that the disease cannot at present be cured by targeted therapy. Worldwide research is aiming to find a specific treatment, such as a vaccine or drug, for this type of coronavirus; this may help improve the situation, but it is highly expensive and time-consuming. The purpose of this paper is to review drug therapies approved in different parts of the world to treat COVID-19 and draw attention to ototoxicity as one of the adverse side-effects. Material and methods: Review of current literature was done in the scientific databases PubMed, ResearchGate, GoogleScholar, and Science-Direct. Studies were reviewed with reference to the inclusion criteria, then graded to assess the internal and external validity, leaving 50 studies for review. Results: According to scientific reports, possible antiviral pharmacological agents to treat COVID-19 consist of chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, azitromycine, oseltamivir, and tocilizumab. In some cases, certain combinations may lead to additive ototoxicity as an adverse effect. Ototoxicity may be manifested by sensory and nervous hearing loss, tinnitus, imbalance, and cochlear-mandibular symptoms, which are sometimes temporary but sometimes permanent. Conclusion: Drug ototoxicity is well known as a cause of cochlear hearing loss, and so the use of new pharmacotherapy methods and drug combinations in the fight against the new coronavirus may have harmful effects. Ototoxicity needs to be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]