How Should Awareness of Ototoxicity Change the Way Medicine is Practiced?

ABSTRACT

Ototoxicity is a topic relevant not only to otolaryngologists and audiologists, but also to any physician who prescribes medications for severely unwell or malignant conditions. Many of the drugs required to treat these conditions will possess side effects that have the potential to damage the inner ear thus causing severe morbidity. Unfortunately side effects that can profoundly affect hearing and balance are not always considered when prescribing potentially ototoxic medications. Regrettably, these problems often go unnoticed until there is severe deafness or an irreversible vestibular loss. This article aims to identify the potential controversies with regards to prescribing ototoxic medications, and discusses ways that a physician may use monitoring to alter their practice.

KEYWORDS

Ototoxicity - vestibulotoxicity - cochleotoxic - monitoring - genetic susceptibility

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