Prevalence of Hearing Loss, and Middle Ear Disease in 1351 School Age Children in Mekelle, Ethiopia

2020 ◽  
pp. 000348942096770
Author(s):  
Betelhem Birhanu ◽  
Abel Shimeles ◽  
Filmawit Gebremeskel ◽  
Gabrielle Cager ◽  
Miriam Redleaf

Objectives: The objective of this study was to begin to measure the prevalence of elevated hearing thresholds in Ethiopia, with audiometric equipment, including bone oscillators and tympanometers. To that end Ethiopian nationals were trained in audiometric techniques to obtain sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) and conductive hearing loss (CHL) rates in school age children. Methods: Five mainstreamed public grade schools in northern Ethiopia were the sites for audiometry campaigns examining 1351 children and testing them with behavioral audiometry. Results: Seven percent of students had SNHL > 20 dB in at least 1 frequency in at least 1 ear, and 0.6% of ears had SNHL > 50 dB. Eighteen percent8% of students had CHL > 20 dB in 1 or both ears. The frequency with the highest incidence of elevated pure tone thresholds was at 8000 Hz. Seven percent of students had an air bone gap at 2000 and/or 4000 Hz of at least 15 dB. Air bone gap is not obtained at 8000 Hz. There were 22 perforated tympanic membranes in 17 children (0.8% of tympanic membranes, 1% of students). Conclusion: This study gives a baseline for the prevalence of hearing loss in school age children in mainstreamed northern Ethiopian schools. It is the first of its kind and perhaps can help in estimated hearing health needs there. Level of Evidence: 2

1980 ◽  
Vol 89 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 200-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J. Fria ◽  
Diane L. Sabo

Auditory brainstem responses (ABR) were recorded in 14 infants and toddlers and 12 school-age children with a previous history of recurrent otitis media with effusion (OME), or otoscopic and tympanometric evidence of persistent OME, or both. ABR tests were performed immediately before and after myringotomy and tympanostomy tube insertion in the younger subjects. For the school-age children, ABR tests were performed following otoscopy, tympanometry, and pure tone audiometry. The results demonstrate that the latency of both wave I and wave V of the ABR was sensitive (82% and 100%, respectively) to the presence of OME. Wave I also identified the absence of OME (specificity = 100%) whereas wave V did not (specificity = 25%). ABR latency was significantly decreased postoperatively in ears found to have OME, but not in ears found to have no OME. In the school-age subjects the ABR was used to predict the conductive hearing loss at 4000 Hz with less than a 20 dB error in virtually all subjects. The ABR latency delay was also found to be related to conductive hearing impairment at lower pure tone frequencies and to the average conductive loss at a variety of pure tone frequencies. Predictions of the presence of a conductive hearing loss from these relationships promise to be impressively accurate. The results suggest that the ABR can be a valuable tool for detecting the presence of conductive hearing impairment in infants and young children suspected to have OME and perhaps as an estimate of the degree of impairment.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Nathan R. Lindquist ◽  
Eric N. Appelbaum ◽  
Anushree Acharya ◽  
Jeffrey T. Vrabec ◽  
Suzanne M. Leal ◽  
...  

We performed exome sequencing to evaluate the underlying molecular cause of a patient with bilateral conductive hearing loss due to multiple ossicular abnormalities as well as symphalangism of the fifth digits. This leads to the identification of a novel heterozygous start codon variant in the NOG gene (c.2T>C:p.Met1?) that hinders normal translation of the noggin protein. Variants in NOG lead to a spectrum of otologic, digit, and joint abnormalities, a combination suggested to be referred to as NOG‐related‐symphalangism spectrum disorder (NOG‐SSD). Conductive hearing loss from such variants may stem from stapes footplate ankylosis, fixation of the malleoincudal joint, or fixation of the incus short process. In this case, the constellation of both stapes and incus fixation, an exceptionally tall stapes suprastructure, thickened long process of the incus, and enlarged incus body was encountered, leading to distinct challenges during otologic surgery to improve hearing thresholds. This case highlights multiple abnormalities to the ossicular chain in a patient with a start codon variant in NOG. We provide detailed imaging data on these malformations as well as surgical considerations and outcomes.


1986 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 525-530 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph W. Hall ◽  
Eugene L. Derlacki

This study investigated whether conductive hearing loss reduces normal binaural hearing advantages and whether binaural hearing advantages are normal in patients who have had hearing thresholds improved by middle ear surgery. Binaural hearing was assessed at a test frequency of 500 Hz using the masking level difference and interaural time discrimination thresholds. Results indicated that binaural hearing is often poor in conductive lesion patients and that the reduction in binaural hearing is not always consistent with a simple attenuation of the acoustic signal. Poor binaural hearing sometimes occurs even when middle ear surgery has resulted in bilaterally normal hearing thresholds. Our preliminary results are consistent with the interpretation that auditory deprivation due to conductive hearing loss may result in poor binaural auditory processing.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anja Lieder ◽  
Wolfgang Issing

Objectives.Tutoplast processed human cadaveric ossicular allografts are a safe alternative for ossicular reconstruction where there is insufficient material suitable for autograft ossiculoplasty. We present a series of 7 consecutive cases showing excellent air-bone gap closure following canal-wall-down mastoidectomy for cholesteatoma and reconstruction of the middle ear using Tutoplast processed malleus.Patients and Methods.Tympanoplasty with Tutoplast processed malleus was performed in seven patients to reconstruct the middle ear following canal-wall-down mastoidectomy in a tertiary ENT centre.Main Outcome Measures.Hearing improvement and recurrence-free period were assessed. Pre-and postoperative audiograms were performed.Results.The average pre operative hearing loss was 50 ± 13 dB, with an air-bone gap of 33 ± 7 dB. Post operative audiograms at 25 months demonstrated hearing thresholds of 29 ± 10 dB, with an air-bone gap of 14 ± 6 dB. No prosthesis extrusion was observed, which compares favourably to other commercially available prostheses.Conclusions.Tutoplast processed allografts restore conductive hearing loss in patients undergoing mastoidectomy and provide an excellent alternative when there is insufficient material suitable for autograft ossiculoplasty.


1979 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 7-23
Author(s):  
J. Armstrong

For many years researchers have documented the high incidence of otitis media (middle ear disease) and hearing impairment among Aboriginal children. While basically suggesting medical intervention and socio-economic development as the main remedies of this situation, there has been some indication of a need for compensatory measures aimed at the education of these children (Stuart et at, 1972)


2017 ◽  
Vol 96 (10-11) ◽  
pp. E47-E52
Author(s):  
Raman Wadhera ◽  
Sharad Hernot ◽  
Sat Paul Gulati ◽  
Vijay Kalra

We performed a prospective interventional study to evaluate correlations between hearing thresholds determined by pure-tone audiometry (PTA) and auditory steady-state response (ASSR) testing in two types of patients with hearing loss and a control group of persons with normal hearing. The study was conducted on 240 ears—80 ears with conductive hearing loss, 80 ears with sensorineural hearing loss, and 80 normal-hearing ears. We found that mean threshold differences between PTA results and ASSR testing at different frequencies did not exceed 15 dB in any group. Using Pearson correlation coefficient calculations, we determined that the two responses correlated better in patients with sensorineural hearing loss than in those with conductive hearing loss. We conclude that measuring ASSRs can be an excellent complement to other diagnostic methods in determining hearing thresholds.


1999 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 1311-1322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Allison Moore

The purpose of the study was to investigate the relative contributions of age, gender, ethnic background, and a history of middle ear disease on the amount of conductive hearing impairment among native and non-native audiology patients in the Canadian North. A second goal of the study was to determine risk factors for conductive hearing loss in the patients studied. Three ethnic groups were represented among the 3,094 patients: Inuit, American Indian, and non-native. Loglinear and logit statistical models were applied, and these data were best explained by a 3-way interaction of history of middle ear disease, ethnic group, and hearing loss, and the 2-way interaction of age and hearing loss. The Inuit appear to be at higher risk for conductive hearing impairment than the other ethnic groups. Conductive hearing loss also appears to increase as age increases through the teenage years for all the patients regardless of ethnic group membership. Preschoolers were at the lowest risk for conductive hearing loss. The trend for the amount of hearing impairment to increase throughout childhood suggests that children living in the Arctic may manifest a unique and more serious form of the disease not often observed in audiology patients who are Caucasian in southern Canada or the United States or that they may be exposed to additional risk factors.


Author(s):  
Piotr Henryk Skarżyński ◽  
Weronika Świerniak ◽  
Elżbieta Gos ◽  
Irina Pierzyńska ◽  
Adam Walkowiak ◽  
...  

Abstract Aim: To gauge the prevalence of hearing loss in school children in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, and refer pupils with positive results for further diagnostic testing. Background: According to WHO data, hearing disorders are common in school-age children. Screening for hearing loss is an important preventative tool, helping to avoid further complications. Expenditure that supports early child development can reduce future outlay on health care and social services; it can eliminate disability problems, education deficits, and social maladaptation in later adult life. Methods: Pure-tone air-conduction hearing thresholds were obtained at 0.5–8 kHz. The results of the hearing screening examination were regarded as positive if pure-tone thresholds were higher than 20 dB HL in one or both ears at one or more of the test frequencies. Data were also obtained from follow-up visits of children who failed the initial screening. Findings: This study included 452 children aged 7–13 years old. Based on audiograms, screening showed that 123 (27.2%) of the children had hearing impairment. The study has important implications for clinical practice and health policy. There is a need for systematic monitoring of hearing status among children of this age, and parents and educators need to be made aware of the significance of hearing loss.


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