Case presentation

A 24-year-old man presented to the emergency department following an assault where he was punched in the face and fell backwards hitting his head onto concrete. Upon arrival, he was intoxicated with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) of 12/15. Due to his agitation, he was sedated and intubated to allow formal assessment of his injuries including CT imaging. Upon withdrawal of sedation and extubation, the patient presented with complete deafness, tinnitus and dizziness on mobilisation. Ear, nose and throat examination revealed a right haemotympanum. There was no obvious facial nerve palsy or other neurological deficits, and clinical balance tests, including Romberg's, Unterberger's and head impulse tests, were normal. Further audiological assessment …