Background: Actual level of knowledge of treatment of COVID-19 disease caused by a type of coronavirus is that the disease cannot at present be cured by targeted therapy. Worldwide research is aiming to find a specific treatment, such as a vaccine or drug, for this type of coronavirus; this may help improve the situation, but it is highly expensive and time-consuming. The purpose of this paper is to review drug therapies approved in different parts of the world to treat COVID-19 and draw attention to ototoxicity as one of the adverse side-effects.Material and methods: Review of current literature was done in the scientific databases PubMed, ResearchGate, GoogleScholar, and Science-Direct. Studies were reviewed with reference to the inclusion criteria, then graded to assess the internal and external validity, leaving 50 studies for review.Results: According to scientific reports, possible antiviral pharmacological agents to treat COVID-19 consist of chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, azitromycine, oseltamivir, and tocilizumab. In some cases, certain combinations may lead to additive ototoxicity as an adverse effect. Ototoxicity may be manifested by sensory and nervous hearing loss, tinnitus, imbalance, and cochlear-mandibular symptoms, which are sometimes temporary but sometimes permanent. Conclusion:Drug ototoxicity is well known as a cause of cochlear hearing loss, and so the use of new pharmacotherapy methods and drug combinations in the fight against the new coronavirus may have harmful effects. Ototoxicity needs to be taken into account.

Background:The first reports of drug ototoxicity were documented in the 1940s. Epidemiological data indicate that changes in audiometric image may affect several percent of patients taking ototoxic drugs. Ototoxicity is manifested by hearing loss and/or changes in the vestibular system. Knowledge of mechanisms responsible for ototoxic effects, as well as important physiological parameters of the human body, may be used as a basis for developing guidelines for the pharmacotherapy. The aim of this paper is to draw attention to the scale and nature of adverse effects of ototoxic drugs. Materials and methods:The review of current literature included the databases PubMed, ResearchGate, GoogleScholar, and ScienceDirect. The studies were reviewed in relation to the inclusion criteria and subsequently evaluated for internal and external validity.Results: According to the literature, pharmacotherapy using drugs with documented ototoxic potential may cause hearing loss and changes in the vestibular system. Depending on the drugs used, changes may be reversible or irreversible. Pathological changes involve hair cells in Corti's organ, stria vascularis, and cochlear potentials. The effect of drugs may cause dysfunction in psychophysical and psychosocial development, especially important for the pediatric population. Conclusion:The ototoxicity of drugs is well known as a cause of cochlear hearing loss. Due to the nature of these substances and their use, more extensive monitoring of adverse reactions should be introduced, including in clinical trial protocols.

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