Alves de Sousa Francisco, Pinto Costa Rodrigo, Xará Sandra, Nóbrega Pinto Ana, Almeida E Sousa Cecília
Centro Hospitalar Universitário do Porto, Serviço de Otorrinolaringologia e Cirurgia da Cabeça e Pescoço (Otorhinolaryngology and Head & Neck surgery Department), Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, 4099-001, Porto, Portugal.
Unidade de Saúde Familiar Garcia de Orta, ACeS Porto Ocidental, Medicina Geral e Familiar (Family Medicine), R. Pinho Leal 29, 4150-620, Porto, Portugal.
J Otol. 2021 Jul;16(3):158-164. doi: 10.1016/j.joto.2021.01.005. Epub 2021 Feb 3.
COVID-19 associated hearing loss is still an ongoing matter of debate. No original studies exist on audiological effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection in hospitalized patients. The main objective was to determine whether SARS-CoV-2 may affect auditory function in clinically ill COVID-19 patients.
COVID-19 patients with moderate-severe disease and without prior history of hearing abnormalities were enrolled from a tertiary referral center, and matched with controls. Participants performed an audiometric evaluation, and thresholds were compared.
120 ears from 60 patients were enrolled. Patients with COVID-19 showed worse mean auditory thresholds starting from 1000 Hz through higher frequencies, when compared to controls (1000 Hz: 18.52 ± 5.49 dB HL in controls vs 25.36 ± 6.79 dB HL in COVID-19, p < 0.001; 2000Hz: 17.50 ± 5.57 dB HL in controls vs 21.96 ± 7.05 dB HL in COVID-19, p = 0.010; 3000Hz: 17.97 ± 8.07 dB HL in controls vs 25 ± 9.38 dB HL in COVID-19, p = 0.003; 4000 Hz: 20.16 ± 10.12 dB HL in controls vs 29.55 ± 11.26 dB HL in COVID-19, p = 0.001; 8000 Hz: 31.09 ± 12.75 dB HL in controls vs 40.71 ± 19.40 dB HL in COVID-19, p = 0.030; : 20.42 ± 4.29 dB HL in controls vs 24.85 ± 5.62 dB HL in COVID-19, p = 0.001). Statistical significance persisted after adjusting for confounders such as age, gender and various comorbidities (p < 0.05).
SARS-CoV-2 may affect hearing in COVID-19 patients with moderate-severe disease. Results are in line with the previous suggested effects of COVID-19 on auditory system. This study is expected to encourage further research on this topic.
新型冠状病毒肺炎（COVID-19）相关听力损失仍是一个仍在讨论的问题。目前尚无关于严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）感染对住院患者听力影响的原创性研究。主要目的是确定SARS-CoV-2是否会影响临床确诊的COVID-19患者的听觉功能。
从一家三级转诊中心招募患有中重度疾病且无听力异常既往史的COVID-19患者，并与对照组进行匹配。参与者进行了听力评估，并比较了听阈。
共纳入60例患者的120只耳。与对照组相比，COVID-19患者从1000赫兹到更高频率的平均听阈更差（1000赫兹：对照组为18.52±5.49分贝听力水平[dB HL]，COVID-19组为25.36±6.79 dB HL，p<0.001；2000赫兹：对照组为17.50±5.57 dB HL，COVID-19组为21.96±7.05 dB HL，p=0.010；3000赫兹：对照组为17.97±8.07 dB HL，COVID-19组为25±9.38 dB HL，p=0.003；4000赫兹：对照组为20.16±10.12 dB HL，COVID-19组为29.55±11.26 dB HL，p=0.001；8000赫兹：对照组为31.09±12.75 dB HL，COVID-19组为40.71±19.40 dB HL，p=0.030；：对照组为20.42±4.29 dB HL，COVID-19组为24.85±5.62 dB HL，p=0.001）。在对年龄、性别和各种合并症等混杂因素进行校正后，统计学显著性仍然存在（p<0.05）。
SARS-CoV-2可能会影响中重度COVID-19患者的听力。研究结果与之前提出的COVID-19对听觉系统的影响一致。本研究有望鼓励对此主题进行进一步研究。
