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A prospective study of high-frequency auditory function in patients receiving oral neomycin
Insights
Oral neomycin rarely causes ototoxicity in adults. A prospective study found only 2 of 30 subjects experienced hearing loss, suggesting a low risk during clinical use.
Area of Science:
- Ototoxicology
- Pharmacology
- Audiology
Background:
- Oral neomycin is rarely associated with ototoxicity, with most evidence from case studies.
- Previous research on pediatric populations indicates a risk of hearing loss from oral neomycin.
- Limited prospective data exists on oral neomycin's ototoxicity in adult populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively evaluate the incidence and nature of ototoxicity from long-term oral neomycin use in adults.
- To address the knowledge gap regarding oral neomycin's ototoxic risk in adult subjects.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study involving 30 adult subjects using oral neomycin long-term.
- Serial monitoring of hearing sensitivity across a wide frequency range (250-20,000 Hz).
Main Results:
- Ototoxicity was identified in 2 out of 30 adult subjects.
- The observed incidence suggests a relatively low risk of hearing impairment.
Conclusions:
- Long-term clinical use of oral neomycin in adults appears to carry a relatively low risk of ototoxicity.
- Further research may be warranted to fully characterize the ototoxic potential in diverse adult populations.
Abstract:
Orally administered, neomycin is reported to cause ototoxicity rarely. Most reports on hearing loss due to oral neomycin have been case studies. One prospective study of a pediatric sample demonstrated a significant loss of hearing in the frequency range of 2 to 8 kHz in 9 of 17 children. To our knowledge there are no published prospective studies on this type with adult samples and therefore little is known of the true incidence or nature of ototoxicity from oral neomycin. This prospective study presents the results of long-term use of oral neomycin in 30 adult subjects. Hearing sensitivity was serially monitored in the frequency range 250-20,000 Hz. Two of the 30 subjects subsequently revealed ototoxicity. Thus the results of this investigation suggest that clinical use of oral neomycin implies relatively little risk of ototoxicity.