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Management of sudden sensorineural hearing loss among primary care physicians in Canada: a survey study
- Source :
- Journal of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Vol 50, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2021), Journal of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery
- Publication Year :
- 2021
- Publisher :
- BMC, 2021.
-
Abstract
- Background Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL) is a medical emergency requiring immediate attention as delayed treatment can lead to permanent and devastating consequences. Primary care physicians are likely the first to be presented with SSNHL and therefore have the crucial role of recognizing it and initiating timely and appropriate management. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the current knowledge and practice trends pertaining to the diagnosis and management of SSNHL among family physicians in Canada. Methods An 18-question survey targeting Canadian family physicians was marketed through two, physician-only discussion groups on the social media platform Facebook. Responses were collected between August 1st and December 22nd 2019 then aggregated and quantified. Results 52 family physicians submitted responses. 94.2% (n = 49) reported that in their practice, unilateral SSNHL warrants urgent referral to otolaryngology and 84.6% (n = 44) reported that unilateral sudden-onset hearing loss warrants urgent referral for audiological testing. 73.1% of participants (n = 38) reported that they would attempt to differentiate between conductive and sensorineural hearing loss if presented with unilateral, acute or sudden-onset hearing loss. 61.5% (n = 32) would rely on tuning fork tests to inform management decisions, as compared to 94.2% (n = 49) relying on case history and 88.5% (n = 46) on otoscopy. 76.9% (n = 40) would prescribe corticosteroids if presented with confirmed, unilateral SSNHL. Conclusion The majority of family physicians in the study would make appropriate referral and treatment decisions in the management of SSNHL, understanding it is a medical emergency. Tuning fork tests are under-utilized for informing management decisions compared to other means of differentiating conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. Further research is needed to understand why some family physicians do not prescribe corticosteroids for treatment of SSNHL, which may then identify any gaps in knowledge or inform improvements in clinical protocol. Graphical abstract
- Subjects :
- Male
medicine.medical_specialty
Canada
Weber test
Referral
Hearing loss
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural
sudden hearing loss
lcsh:Surgery
Otoscopy
Physicians, Primary Care
03 medical and health sciences
0302 clinical medicine
Adrenal Cortex Hormones
Surveys and Questionnaires
medicine
Humans
Rinne test
Original Research Article
Practice Patterns, Physicians'
030223 otorhinolaryngology
Referral and Consultation
business.industry
Hearing Tests
lcsh:RD1-811
Hearing Loss, Sudden
medicine.disease
sudden sensorineural hearing loss
Otorhinolaryngology
Sudden sensorineural hearing loss
Emergency medicine
Oral and maxillofacial surgery
Surgery
Sensorineural hearing loss
Female
medicine.symptom
business
Tuning fork
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 19160216
- Volume :
- 50
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....63dcb0e1aed0cc9c4bc28e3722f525cd