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ototoxicity

ototoxicity

1 9.9
Damage to hearing or balance that some medicines and chemicals cause
  • noun
  • /ˌoʊtəʊtɒkˈsɪtɪ/
  • Specialized
: ototoxicidad
  • The doctor explained that ototoxicity can occur after using certain medications, leading to hearing loss.
  • aminoglycoside ototoxicity
  • gentamicin ototoxicity
  • ototoxicity monitoring

Examples

  • In Chinese patients with this defect, hearing loss caused by aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity is usually rapid and severe.

    Academic text (2004)
  • The potential for ototoxicity with the use of aminoglycoside otic drops has limited their use in children.

    Academic text (2004)
  • For many years in Canada, we did not pay too much attention to ototoxicity.

    Academic text (2003)
  • If you do, there is a strong likelihood that ototoxicity will develop sometime after 7 days.

    Academic text (2003)
  • We found that most patients experienced ototoxicity 12 days into their treatment regimen.

    Academic text (2003)
  • What this means clinically is that a good history might allow us to prevent ototoxicity in some cases.

    Academic text (2004)
  • According to the available animal data, it also appears that steroids cause little or no ototoxicity.

    Academic text (2003)
  • Aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity is seen in both experimental animals and in patients.

    Academic text (1998)
  • Animal studies have suggested that hearing loss from ototoxicity begins in the highest audible frequencies (3, 4, 5).

    Academic text (1993)
  • We do have parenteral alternatives, but concerns over their expense and potential ototoxicity make this option unrealistic.

    Academic text (2001)

Surface Forms

ototoxicity singular
ototoxicities plural

Morphology

ototoxicity = ototoxic (semi-transparent) = oto + toxic + ity

Formed by the adjective 'ototoxic' + the noun-forming suffix '-ity'; the medical combining form 'oto-' may be unfamiliar to general learners, making full decomposition only partly transparent.

Etymology

The word ototoxicity comes from three parts: oto- meaning 'ear', toxic meaning 'poison', and -ity meaning 'a state or condition'. So, ototoxicity is the 'ear' in a 'poisoned' state, which explains why it means damage to hearing or balance caused by some drugs.