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Updated: Jul 16, 2025
Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Published on: January 25, 2016
The Effect of the Intra-Arterial Heparin Flushing (IAHF) Procedure on Hearing Threshold in Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Elvita Rahmi Daulay1, Delfitri Munir2, Aznan Lelo3
1Philosophy Doctor in Medicine Program, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan, Sumatera Utara, Indonesia.
Insights
Intra-arterial heparin flushing (IAHF) shows potential for treating sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) by improving circulation and reducing oxidative stress. While results showed hearing threshold improvement, further research is needed to confirm statistical significance.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Vascular Medicine
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is prevalent in Indonesia with limited treatment options.
- SNHL is linked to oxidative stress and reduced vascularization, damaging cochlear hair cells.
- Intra-arterial heparin flushing (IAHF) may improve circulation and offers antioxidant benefits via heparin.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the therapeutic effect of IAHF on hearing function in SNHL patients.
- To assess hearing improvement by comparing audiometric thresholds before and after IAHF.
- To explore IAHF as a potential alternative treatment for SNHL.
Main Methods:
- Experimental study with a Pretest-Posttest One-Group Only design.
- 17 SNHL patients underwent pure tone audiometry pre-procedure and 4 hours post-IAHF.
- Paired Students t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test analyzed hearing threshold differences.
Main Results:
- A decrease in mean hearing thresholds was observed in both ears 4 hours after IAHF.
- Statistical analysis (p-value > 0.05) indicated no significant difference in hearing thresholds pre- and post-procedure.
- Individual patient data suggested a trend towards hearing improvement.
Conclusions:
- IAHF demonstrated a potential therapeutic effect in SNHL patients.
- The procedure may offer benefits by enhancing cochlear circulation and reducing oxidative stress.
- Further investigation is warranted to establish the clinical efficacy and statistical significance of IAHF for SNHL.
Background:
Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is a frequent problem in Indonesia but its treatment is still limited. This type of hearing loss is related to oxidative stress and decreased vascularization, which can damage the hair cell. The intra-arterial heparin flushing (IAHF) is a procedure that can recover circulation and its agent, namely heparin, also has antioxidant activity. Therefore, the IAHF procedure has the potential to improve hearing function and can be considered an alternative therapy for SNHL.
Objective:
The study evaluates the effect of the IAHF on hearing improvement based on the difference in hearing threshold values before and after the procedure.
Methods:
This experimental study used a Pretest-Posttest One-Group Only design. A total of 17 patients with sensorineural hearing loss who met inclusion and exclusion criteria were subjected to pure tone audiometry tests before and 4 hours after the IAHF procedure. The mean difference in hearing threshold was analyzed using paired Students t-test for normally distributed data and Wilcoxon for non-normally distributed data.
Results:
There was a decrease in the means of hearing threshold in the right and left ear 4 hours after the IAHF procedure. However, based on the paired Students t-test, there was not a significant difference in hearing threshold before and after the procedure (p-value > 0.05).
Conclusion:
There was hearing threshold improvement 4 hours after the IAHF procedure. This study showed that the IAHF procedure can have a therapeutic effect on sensorineural hearing loss patients.
