Objective: To reclassify the flat type sudden deafness according to the types of audiogram shape, and to explore the correlation between different pattern of hearing loss and prognosis. Methods: All of 1 024 patients with unilateral sudden deafness (492 males and 532 females, aged from 19 to 65 years, with an average age of 41.2 years old) admitted to 33 hospitals nationwide from August 2007 to October 2011 were divided into four types according to Chinese Guideline of Sudden Deafness(2015): low-frequency, high-frequency, flat and total deafness. Then, 402 patients with flat type sudden deafness were further divided into ascending type, descending type and consistent type according to the audiogram shapes. First, we compared the clinical characteristics and prognosis among these three subtypes of flat deafness, then compared the clinical characteristics and prognosis between ascending flat deafness and low-frequency deafness, descending flat deafness and high-frequency deafness, consistent flat deafness and total deafness, explored the factors related to the prognosis of flat deafness. SPSS 21.0 software, ANOVA, χ² test, t-test and Logistic regression were used to analyze the data. Results: The cure rates of flat ascending, flat descending and flat consistent sudden deafness groups were 70.7%, 17.1% and 34.0% respectively, with a statistically significant difference (χ²=33.984, P<0.001); However, there was no significant difference in age, sex and affected side (all P>0.05). The independent related factors for the recovery of flat type sudden deafness were as follows: whether there was dizziness [OR=0.459; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.271-0.777], the type of audiogram shape (OR=0.721; 95%CI: 0.530-0.981), and days from onset to therapy (OR=0.903, 95%CI: 0.835-0.978), all of which had P values<0.05. There was no significant difference in the cure rates between ascending flat sudden deafness and low-frequency descending sudden deafness, descending flat sudden deafness and high-frequency descending sudden deafness (all P>0.05). The pure tone average(PTA) of flat consistent sudden deafness and total deafness were (69.1±18.9) and (101.7±17.7) dB HL, respectively, with a statistically significant difference (t=20.890, P<0.001), and the cure rates were 34.0% and 14.5%, respectively, with a statistically significant difference (χ²=29.012, P<0.001). Conclusion: According to the audiogram shape, the flat type sudden deafness can be further divided into ascending flat sudden deafness, descending flat sudden deafness and consistent flat sudden deafness, which can more effectively evaluate the prognosis. The cure rate of ascending flat sudden deafness is similar to that of low-frequency sudden deafness, and the prognosis is well; The cure rate of descending flat sudden deafness is similar to that of high-frequency descending sudden deafness, and the prognosis is poor. The cure rate of consistent flat sudden deafness is higher than that of total deafness. PTA plays an important role in the prognosis of consistent flat sudden deafness and total deafness. Total deafness can be regarded as a single type of sudden deafness.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Hearing Loss, Sudden ; Deafness ; Hearing Tests ; Prognosis ; Vertigo ; Hearing Loss, Unilateral ; Hearing Loss, Sensorineural

Cognition ; Cognitive Dysfunction ; Humans ; Presbycusis

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical treatment outcomes and the changes of the outcomes over time in extremely preterm twins in Guangdong Province, China. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed for 269 pairs of extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks who were admitted to the department of neonatology in 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province from January 2008 to December 2017. According to the admission time, they were divided into two groups: 2008-2012 and 2013-2017. Besides, each pair of twins was divided into the heavier infant and the lighter infant subgroups according to birth weight. The perinatal data of mothers and hospitalization data of neonates were collected. The survival rate of twins and the incidence rate of complications were compared between the 2008-2012 and 2013-2017 groups. RESULTS: Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of severe asphyxia and smaller head circumference at birth (P<0.05). The mortality rates of both of the twins, the heavier infant of the twins, and the lighter infant of the twins were lower in the 2013-2017 group compared with the 2008-2012 group (P<0.05). Compared with the 2008-2012 group, the 2013-2017 group (both the heavier infant and lighter infant subgroups) had lower incidence rates of pulmonary hemorrhage, patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), periventricular-intraventricular hemorrhage (P-IVH), and neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (NRDS) and a higher incidence rate of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There is a significant increase in the survival rate over time in extremely preterm twins with a gestational age of <28 weeks in the 26 grade A tertiary hospitals in Guangdong Province. The incidences of severe asphyxia, pulmonary hemorrhage, PDA, P-IVH, and NRDS decrease in both the heavier and lighter infants of the twins, but the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia increases. With the improvement of diagnosis and treatment, the multidisciplinary collaboration between different fields of fetal medicine including prenatal diagnosis, obstetrics, and neonatology is needed in the future to jointly develop management strategies for twin pregnancy.
Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia/epidemiology* ; Female ; Gestational Age ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Extremely Premature ; Infant, Newborn ; Pregnancy ; Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn/epidemiology* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome