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Table 57 Descriptive characteristics of included studies focusing on the use of HBOT in sudden<br />

deafness and acoustic trauma.*<br />

First Author and<br />

Year of Publication<br />

Cavallazi 1996 95<br />

Vavrina 1995 96<br />

Hoffmann 1993 97<br />

(acute)<br />

Hoffmann 1993 98<br />

(chronic)<br />

NHMRC<br />

Level<br />

III-2<br />

III-2<br />

Study<br />

Design<br />

Comparative<br />

study<br />

Comparative<br />

study<br />

Location<br />

Dates of<br />

Enrolment<br />

Characteristics of Study<br />

Population†<br />

58 <strong>Hyperbaric</strong> oxygen therapy<br />

Size<br />

Italy ? ‡ 62<br />

Switzerland ? 78<br />

Age<br />

(years)<br />

Mean (SD)<br />

48.2 (29-<br />

70) §<br />

I=24.9<br />

(6.3)<br />

C=22.7<br />

(7.6)<br />

II RCT Germany ? 20 ? ?<br />

II RCT Germany ? 44 ? ?<br />

Sex Ratio<br />

(M:F)<br />

* Abbreviations: C = comparison group, F = female, I = intervention group, M = male, RCT = randomised controlled trial, SD = standard<br />

deviation.<br />

† <strong>Information</strong> is given for intervention and comparison groups, if available. Otherwise, total study population values are stated.<br />

‡ Unstated, unclear, or unknown.<br />

§ Figures in parentheses are ranges.<br />

The studies were published over a period of three years. All were conducted in Europe.<br />

The sample sizes varied from 20 to 78 subjects. Only the study by Vavrina et al 96 was not<br />

an RCT. None of the studies indicated the dates during which subjects were recruited.<br />

The two smallest studies (both conducted by Hoffmann et al) 97,98 failed to provide ages<br />

and sexes of participants, while the study of Vavrina et al 96 did not indicate the<br />

distribution of sexes.<br />

Study quality<br />

All the RCTs failed to provide enough detail to assess the adequacy of randomisation<br />

(Table 58). Except for one of the studies by Hoffmann et al98 none of the studies<br />

provided enough details to assess masking. All of the studies reported complete followup<br />

of participants.<br />

Table 58 Methodological quality of included studies focusing on the use of HBOT in sudden deafness<br />

and acoustic trauma.*<br />

First Author and<br />

Year of Publication<br />

32:30<br />

Study Design Randomisation Masking Losses to Follow-up<br />

Cavallazi 1996 95 Comparative study None Unclear No losses<br />

Vavrina 1995 96 Comparative study None Unclear No losses<br />

Hoffmann 1993 97<br />

(acute)<br />

Hoffmann 1993 98<br />

(chronic)<br />

RCT<br />

RCT<br />

* Abbreviation: RCT = Randomised controlled trial<br />

Unclear Unclear No losses<br />

Unclear Double-masked 1<br />

Patient criteria<br />

None of the studies provided objective criteria on which the diagnoses of sudden<br />

deafness and acoustic trauma were based. Two of the studies explicitly recruited patients<br />

?

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