The impact of medical interventions for reducing ototoxicity during treatment for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis / Impacto de las intervenciones médicas para reducir la ototoxicidad durante el tratamiento de la tuberculosis multirresistente a los fármacos

INTRODUCTION: The impact of medical interventions for reducing ototoxicity requires focus in contexts where safe non-ototoxic alternative drugs are not yet available. OBJECTIVES: The goal was to investigate the impact of medical intervention strategies for reducing the ototoxic effects of long-term use of aminoglycosides for the treatment of Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in adults at a rural hospital in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. METHODS: A retrospective record review with a control group design was used, with audiological and medical record reviews of all participants' files over a six-month period. A total of 86 participants (intervention group n = 32 and control group n = 54) were included. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Results revealed progressive hearing loss in both groups, with worsening of thresholds at each subsequent assessment session. The progression of the hearing loss, however, was much slower in the intervention group, with degree of hearing loss being more severe in the control group in the final session of assessment (36.78-71.74 dB), when compared to the intervention group (33-44.39 dB). Furthermore, the hearing loss in the intervention group remained in the high frequencies while that in the control group progressed to involve the lower frequencies on the audiogram. The most common medical intervention strategies employed in the current study were to reduce the dosage of the ototoxic drug (61%), with the daily dosage reduced to 800 mg in 39% of participants, while the administration of the drug was reduced from daily to thrice weekly in 22% of participants. CONCLUSIONS: The results reveal better hearing sensitivity over the treatment period in the intervention group when compared to the control group; thus suggesting that early medical strategies implemented had a significant preventive impact. Current findings are relevant to the audiological, medical and pharmaceutical fields, particularly within the South African context where resource constraints are a consideration in all treatment measures

INTRODUCCIÓN: El impacto de las intervenciones médicas para reducir la ototoxicidad requiere concentrarse en los contextos en los que no se dispone de fármacos alternativos no ototóxicos seguros. OBJETIVOS: El objetivo fue investigar el impacto de las intervenciones médicas para reducir los efectos ototóxicos del uso prolongado de aminoglucósidos para el tratamiento de la tuberculosis multirresistente a los fármacos (MDR-TB) en adultos, en un hospital rural en Cabo Oriental, Sudáfrica. MÉTODOS: Se realizó una revisión retrospectiva de historias con grupo control de las revisiones audiológicas y médicas de todos los participantes durante un periodo de 6 meses, incluyéndose a un total de 86 participantes (grupo intervención n = 32 y grupo control n = 54). Se utilizaron estadísticas descriptivas e inferenciales para analizar los datos. RESULTADOS: Los resultados revelaron hipoacusia progresiva en ambos grupos, con empeoramiento de los umbrales en cada examen sucesivo. Sin embargo, la progresión de la hipoacusia fue menor en el grupo intervención, siendo más severo el grado de pérdida auditiva en el grupo control en el examen final de evaluación (36,78-71,74 dB), en comparación con el grupo intervención (33-44,39 dB). Además, la hipoacusia se mantuvo en frecuencias altas en el grupo intervención, mientras que en el grupo control experimentó una progresión, incluyendo las frecuencias bajas en el audiograma. Las intervenciones médicas más comunes utilizadas en el presente estudio fueron la reducción de la dosis de fármacos ototóxicos (61%), reduciéndose la dosis diaria a 800 mg en el 39% de los participantes, mientras que la administración del fármaco se redujo de una a tres veces por semana en el 22% de los participantes. CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados revelan mejor sensibilidad auditiva a lo largo del periodo de tratamiento en el grupo intervención, en comparación con el grupo control, lo cual sugiere que las estrategias médicas tempranas implementadas tuvieron un impacto preventivo significativo. Los hallazgos actuales son relevantes para los campos audiológico, médico y farmacéutico, particularmente en el contexto de Sudáfrica, donde las limitaciones de recursos son dignas de consideración en todas las medidas de tratamiento

The impact of medical interventions for reducing ototoxicity during treatment for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis.

INTRODUCTION: The impact of medical interventions for reducing ototoxicity requires focus in contexts where safe non-ototoxic alternative drugs are not yet available. OBJECTIVES: The goal was to investigate the impact of medical intervention strategies for reducing the ototoxic effects of long-term use of aminoglycosides for the treatment of Multi-Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in adults at a rural hospital in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. METHODS: A retrospective record review with a control group design was used, with audiological and medical record reviews of all participants' files over a six-month period. A total of 86 participants (intervention group n=32 and control group n=54) were included. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Results revealed progressive hearing loss in both groups, with worsening of thresholds at each subsequent assessment session. The progression of the hearing loss, however, was much slower in the intervention group, with degree of hearing loss being more severe in the control group in the final session of assessment (36.78-71.74dB), when compared to the intervention group (33-44.39dB). Furthermore, the hearing loss in the intervention group remained in the high frequencies while that in the control group progressed to involve the lower frequencies on the audiogram. The most common medical intervention strategies employed in the current study were to reduce the dosage of the ototoxic drug (61%), with the daily dosage reduced to 800mg in 39% of participants, while the administration of the drug was reduced from daily to thrice weekly in 22% of participants. CONCLUSIONS: The results reveal better hearing sensitivity over the treatment period in the intervention group when compared to the control group; thus suggesting that early medical strategies implemented had a significant preventive impact. Current findings are relevant to the audiological, medical and pharmaceutical fields, particularly within the South African context where resource constraints are a consideration in all treatment measures.