Case History
A 10-year-old female presented to the audiology department at a large pediatric hospital. She recently failed a hearing screening in both ears at her pediatrician’s office. The patient reported she was unable to hear. She stated that sounds were muffled and she was unable to understand when spoken to. The audiologist attempted to converse with the patient; however, she responded inconsistently and frequently looked to her mother for clarification.
Topic(s): Pediatric Audiology, Ototoxicity, Hearing Loss
According to the National Institutes of Health’s Center National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, many drugs approved for other uses already have been tested in humans, so detailed information is available on their pharmacology, formulation, and potential toxicity.
Topic(s): COVID-19, Ototoxicity, FDA, Patient care, Practice Management
In an effort to combat the coronavirus (COVID-19), front-line physicians are re-purposing two drugs: hydroxychloroquine (commonly used for malaria and rheumatoid arthritis) and azithromycin (a macrolide antibiotic used to treat common infections of the respiratory system, the ear and the eye). Both drugs are known ototoxic agents; however, there is no published research about the synergistic ototoxic effects of these drugs in treating COVID-19.
Topic(s): COVID-19, Ototoxicity, Hydroxychloroquine, Azithromycin
