In total, 704 patients (805 ears) with sudden deafness hospitalized in the Otorhinolaryngology Department of Zhongshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2015 to December 2018 were selected for the study. The therapeutic outcomes based on the hearing loss level and hearing curve in sudden deafness were compared and analyzed.

Among 172 cases of low frequency hearing loss, the recovery rates of cases involving mild and moderate deafness were 64.66% and 53.33%, respectively, with no significant differences (χ² = 0.122; P = 0.727), and the total effective rates were 78.66% and 73.33%, respectively, with no significant differences (χ² = 0.012; P = 0.913). Among 205 cases involving high frequency hearing loss, the recovery rates of cases involving mild, moderate, moderate-severe, and severe deafness were 5.98%, 4.34%, 0%, and 0%, respectively, with no significant differences (χ² = 0.012; P = 0.913), and the total effective rates were 22.22%, 19.56%, 38.46%, and 40.00%, respectively, with no significant differences (χ² = 5.067; P = 0.167). Among 226 cases of flat hearing loss, the recovery rates of those with mild, moderate, moderate-severe, and severe deafness were 34.14%, 4.76%, 10.44%, and 9.21%, respectively, with no significant differences (χ² = 9.325, 6.956, and 7.852, respectively; P = 0.007, 0.021, and 0.013, respectively), and the total effective rates were 57.44%, 37.09%, 50.74%, and 52.63%, respectively, with no significant differences (χ² = 4.103; P = 0.129). Among 101 cases of total deafness, the recovery rates of cases involving severe and extremely severe deafness were 12.50% and 1.07%, respectively, which was statistically significant (χ² = 4.954; P = 0.026), and the total effective rates were 62.50% and 34.40%, respectively, with no significant differences (χ² = 2.504; P = 0.114).

The degree of hearing loss is a factor influencing the therapeutic outcome in sudden deafness. Except for low frequency hearing loss, all other types showed a poor therapeutic outcome.