We aimed to study the ototoxic side effect of amikacin used routinely in the treatment of multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) in our clinic. We studied 33 patients with secondary MDR-TB who had been treated in our clinic between January 1999-December 2001. Twenty five of the patients were male (median age=32) and 8 of them were female (median age=27.5). The patients were evaluated by audiometry before treatment with amikacin, during treatment whenever the patient had symptoms like tinnitus or hearing loss, and after treatment. Results were compared in each patient statistically. Among 33 patients we diagnosed hearing loss in 23 patients (69.7%), 18 of them having sensorineural hearing loss and 5 of them having conductive deafness. The relation between age and hearing loss was statistically significant (p<0.01). We also found statistically significant relation between sex and hearing loss, especially in men (p<0.05). But there was no statistically significant relation between the treatment period, dosage of amikacin and the degree of hearing loss (p>0.01).

Amikacin as being an ototoxic drug, the patients must be informed about its side-effects before starting the treatment in multidrug resistant tuberculosis. Detecting decibel losses in high frequencies by monitoring audiometry is important for early diagnosis of the sensorineural hearing loss induced by amikacin.