The Journal of Practical Medicine ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (11): 2083-2090.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2026.11.025

• Treatise:Mechanism and Practice • Previous Articles    

Real-world study: Efficacy and safety analysis of butylphthalide combined with conventional therapy in the treatment of blast-induced deafness

Canfeng ZHAO1,2,Jiaping REN1,2,Chong OUYANG3,Zijing ZHANG4,Hua PENG1,2()   

  1. 1.Graduate School,Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine,Guangzhou 510006,Guangdong,China
    2.Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery,General Hospital of Southern Theater Command,Guangzhou 510010,Guangdong,China
    3.The First School of Clinical Medicine,Southern Medical University,Guangzhou 510515,Guangdong,China
    4.Outpatient Department of Unit 75610,Shenzhen 518000,Guangdong,China
  • Received:2026-03-11 Online:2026-06-10 Published:2026-06-15
  • Contact: Hua PENG E-mail:doctorpeng2006@hotmail.com

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the effectiveness and safety of butylphthalide in treating sudden deafness under real-world clinical conditions. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of patients with blast-induced deafness admitted to the Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, General Hospital of Southern Theater Command from January 2020 to April 2025. The patients were classified into a butylphthalide group (consisting of 51 patients with 66 affected ears) and a non-butylphthalide group (consisting of 54 patients with 70 affected ears) based on whether butylphthalide was administered during the treatment. All the patients included in the study received a therapeutic regimen centered on glucocorticoids, supplemented with drugs for improving microcirculation and nourishing nerves. On this basis, the patients in the butylphthalide group were additionally administered butylphthalide injection twice a day for 7 consecutive days. The hearing gain and treatment effective rate (defined as effective when the hearing gain was ≥ 15 dB) were assessed by comparing the results of pure-tone audiometry (PTA) before and after the treatment between the two groups. The safety of medication in both groups was also monitored. Results There were no statistically significant differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. The butylphthalide group demonstrated significantly greater hearing gains in PTA thresholds at 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1 000 Hz, 2 000 Hz, and 4 000 Hz when compared to the non-butylphthalide group (all P < 0.05). The overall treatment effective rates in the butylphthalide group were 53.3%, 68.1%, 49.1%, 47.4%, and 52.5% at 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1 000 Hz, 2 000 Hz, and 4 000 Hz, respectively. These rates were significantly higher than those in the non-butylphthalide group (15.4%, 14.9%, 17.1%, 22.0%, and 27.3%; all P < 0.05). During treatment, mild pruritus was observed in 2 cases, and mild dizziness with nausea in 1 case. No serious adverse events associated with butylphthalide were reported during the treatment period. Conclusion In real-world clinical practice, the integration of butylphthalide into conventional therapy results in a substantial improvement in the hearing levels of patients with sudden deafness and demonstrates a favorable safety profile, which suggests significant clinical application value.

Key words: explosive deafness, butylphthalide, real-world study, therapeutic efficacy, safety

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