Acute kidney injury due to sodium bromate intoxication: a report of two cases

Cochlear Implantation after Bromate Intoxication-Induced Bilateral Deafness: A Case Report

Hearing loss is a common consequence of the strong acidosis induced by bromate poisoning. Partial hearing recovery has been achieved through medical or rehabilitative therapy but reports of surgical otology treatment for this condition are rare. We report the case of a 48-year-old female patient who underwent cochlear implantation after bromate intoxication had induced bilateral deafness. In cases with life-threatening renal damage, the diagnosis of hearing loss is sometimes delayed, but in our case, hearing impairment was unavoidable despite early detection of symptoms and early disruption of the use of diuretics that could cause hearing damage. Hearing loss 12 hours after bromate ingestion was successfully reversed through cochlear implantation (CI) six months after completing acute phase treatment, including dialysis for acute kidney injury. The benefit of CI for deafness by bromate intoxication is highlighted by this case.

Hearing recovery from deafness caused by bromate intoxication

OBJECTIVES

Sodium bromate is a strong oxidant, and bromate intoxication can cause irreversible severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss. This paper reports the first case in the English literature of bromate-induced hearing loss with hearing recovery measured by formal audiological assessment.Case reportA 72-year-old woman was admitted to hospital with complaints of profound hearing loss, nausea, diarrhoea and anuria after bromate ingestion in a suicide attempt. On admission, pure tone audiometry and auditory brainstem responses showed profound bilateral deafness. Under the diagnosis of bromate-induced acute renal failure and sensorineural hearing loss, continuous haemodiafiltration was performed. When dialysis was discontinued, pure tone audiometry and auditory brainstem responses showed partial threshold recovery from profound deafness.

CONCLUSION

Severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss is a common symptom of bromate intoxication. Bromate-induced hearing loss may be partially treated, and early application of continuous haemodiafiltration might be useful as a treatment for this intractable condition.

A Case of Cochlear Implantation in Bromate-Induced Bilateral Sudden Deafness

Despite the well-established nature of bromate-induced ototoxicity, cochlear implantation after bromate intoxication has been rarely documented. We hereby present a case of a 51-year-old female deafened completely after bromate ingestion. Her hearing was not restored by systemic steroid treatment and hearing aids were of no use. A cochlear implantation was performed on her right ear 3 months after the bromate ingestion. In bromate intoxication cases, early monitoring of hearing level is necessary and other drugs with potential ototoxicity should be avoided. The outcome of cochlear implantation was excellent in this case of bromate-induced deafness.