[Risk of inner ear damage from ototoxic eardrops (author's transl)]

Antibiotic eardrops with ototoxic properties are widely used in the treatment of discharging ears and have also been used in cases with perforated tympanic membranes. There has thus far been no information available on the incidence of ototoxic inner ear damage caused by such treatments. An inquiry among the members of the Swiss Otolaryngological Society uncovered 15 such cases with inner ear damages: 8 patients with total loss of hearing and 7 patients with profound deafness. The risk of such ototoxic injury is approximately 1 case in 1--3000 treatments. The present study indicates that topical treatment in cases with perforated tympanic membranes should not be given longer than 10 days, or it should be interrupted as soon as mucosal swelling subsides.