Figure 11: Acute hearing loss guidelines of the DGHNO (2004): differential therapy of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss according to the audiogram type
Therapeutic recommendations for the differential treatment of acute, idiopathic impaired hearing according to the "acute hearing loss guideline" of the German Society for Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck Surgery (excerpts cited with the kind permission of the DGHNO) [266].
*With minor hearing loss the committee considers that an initial therapy with glucocorticoids alone over 3 days is feasible. If successful it should be continued circumstances permitting. Hyperbaric oxygenation is quoted in the guideline as a possible therapy for ISSNHL treated unsuccessfully by other means, and the guideline also recommends that the procedure be tested in prospective, randomised clinical studies.