Prognosis of acute acoustic trauma: a retrospective study using multiple logistic regression analysis

Objective: The prognosis for acute acoustic trauma (AAT) is difficult to pr edict. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used in this study to dete rmine which factors were most strongly related to outcome for patients with AAT, Methods: The study group was comprised of 52 patients (52 ears). Sepa rate analyses were performed on the no change and partial recovery groups? and on the no change and full recovery groups. The following eight factors were examined as explanatory variables, age: number of days before the star t of treatment; use of earplugs; drug therapy (adrenocortical hormones, low molecular weight dextrans, and vitamin B-12), mean hearing levels at 0.5, 1, and 2 kHz (pure tone average, PTA), and mean hearing levels at 4 and 8 k Hz (high tone average, HTA). Be,sula: Factors determined to be most strongl y related to outcome were the number of days before the start of treatment, PTA, and HTA. No significant relation to outcome was determined for the fi ve following factors, age; use of earplugs and drug therapy (adrenocortical hormones, ion' molecular weight dextrans, and vitamin B-12). Conclusion: O ur results will increase the ability to prognosticate the outcome for AAT. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science ireland Ltd. ALI rights reserved.