Comparison of the effects of the temperature of intratympanic dexamethasone injections on vertigo

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to compare if vertigo improved in patients when the dexamethasone used in the intratympanic (IT) injection was applied at body temperature or at room temperature. Methods: The study included 54 patients who had undergone intratympanic treatment due to sudden hearing loss and tinnitus. The IT injection was administered to all patients, 2 times with 1-day intervals. Two different IT injection techniques were used for each patient: injecting dexamethasone at room temperature and injecting it at body temperature. Patients were asked to report the vertigo they felt immediately, and at 15 min after the injection using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the four-point categorical rating scale (CRS-4). Results: The level of vertigo immediately after injection was lower when the dexamethasone was injected at body temperature rather that at room temperature for both the VAS and CRS-4 (p < 0.05). However, no statistical differences in the VAS and CRS-4 self-report values between the two methods were found 15 min after the injection (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Vertigo due to IT decreases within minutes. When the IT drugs are administered at body temperature, temporal vertigo due to injection is lower than when they are administered at room temperature.