The association between comorbidities and inpatient mortality with sudden sensorineural hearing loss using a national database in Taiwan

OBJECTIVE: The association between comorbidities and inpatient mortality with sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) has not been investigated. Therefore, this study aimed to provide a 14-year nationwide incidence, and identify risk factors and comorbidities of SSNHL inpatient mortality. METHODS: Data were obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database for 2000 to 2013. Inpatient mortality of 31,258 patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of SSNHL was recorded and analyzed. RESULTS: Sixteen patients with SSNHL exhibited mortality with a percentage of 0.05% and an incidence of less than 0.01 per 100,000 people per year. The risk of variables among inpatient mortality was associated with older age (adjusted odds ratio [OR]: 1.042, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.009–1.077) and the presence of catastrophic illness (adjusted OR: 4.949, 95% CI: 1.290–18.996). Potential comorbidities included hematologic diseases, cancers, chronic hepatitis, gastrointestinal bleeding, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, seizures or convulsions, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and varicose veins and their associated complications. CONCLUSIONS: This 14-year nationwide study shows that inpatient mortality rate for SSNHL is relatively rare, but suggests we should still be aware of the potential for such underlying conditions to cause SSNHL as well as the mortality associated with these conditions.