Systemic ototoxicity: a review.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Qualitative literature review synthesizing clinical and experimental studies without meta-analysis or systematic pooling of randomized trials.
PubMed 16450683 · doi:10.4314/eamj.v82i10.9353
What was done
The authors conducted a literature search using PubMed restricted to English-language publications covering ototoxicity, aminoglycosides, quinine, furosemide, gentamicin, vestibular toxicity, auditory toxicity, and Africa. Studies addressing clinical ototoxicity, experimental data, and regional sub-Saharan context were reviewed, with study selection based on author consensus and evidence level.
What was found
The abstract provides no quantitative data, event rates, or pooled effect estimates. It reports descriptively that quinine, furosemide, and aminoglycosides possess ototoxic potential, with risk heightened by high dosages, prolonged duration, intravenous delivery, predisposing clinical conditions, and limited monitoring resources in sub-Saharan Africa.
Why it matters
It consolidates clinical awareness of common ototoxic medications (quinine, furosemide, aminoglycosides) in resource-limited settings where routine audiometric or vestibular monitoring is frequently unavailable.
Limits
The abstract does not state the number of studies evaluated, specific search dates, inclusion/exclusion criteria, or quantitative risk estimates. The synthesis relies on narrative consensus across heterogeneous study types, including experimental and non-controlled reports.
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