Open AccessOtotoxicity: A review of South African studies
Author(s) -
Selvarani Moodley,
Claudine Störbeck,
Nomthandazo Gama
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
south african family practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2078-6204
pISSN - 2078-6190
DOI - 10.4102/safp.v63i1.5187
Subject(s) - ototoxicity , audiologist , medicine , hearing loss , audiology , population , family medicine , intensive care medicine , surgery , environmental health , chemotherapy , cisplatin
Ototoxicity is damage to cells in the inner ear after administering a toxic drug, with a resultant hearing loss. Drugs used to treat illnesses such as cancer, tuberculosis, human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) and infections are potentially ototoxic. South Africa has one of the highest rates of HIV and tuberculosis, and thus a potentially greater degree of the population is being affected by hearing loss from the medications used to treat these illnesses.