A Comparative Study between Endoscopic and Microscopic Tympanoplasty

A study to compare tympanoplasty between endoscopic and microscopic approach was conducted at NMCTH. Patients diagnosed as chronic otitis media – mucosal type with age of 13 years and above were included in the study. Audiometric test was done before and 6 weeks after surgery. Seventy cases were included for the study with random allocation of cases each in endoscope group and microscopic group respectively. Graft uptake results were assessed after 6 weeks and postoperative hearing were evaluated and compared within and between the two groups. In endoscopic group and microscopic group, the graft uptake rate was 91.4% and 88.5% respectively with no significant difference (p = 0.71) in the graft uptake rate between the groups. The mean pre and post-operative air bone gap in endoscopic group and microscopic group were 34.59 dB±8.02, 21.97±8.60 dB and32.42±10.08 dB, 18.55±8.49 dB respectively. This showed a highly significant difference in both groups(p < 0.001), showing improvement in the hearing after surgery in both the groups. The mean air bone gain were 12.62 dB and 13.87 dB in endoscopic and microscopic group respectively, with no significant difference between the groups (p = 0.553). The graft uptake rate and hearing results with endoscopic technique is comparable to that of microscopic technique. However, the endoscopic technique requires shorter operative time than the microscopic technique. Therefore, we recommend the use of endoscope for tympanoplasty in hospital as well as in camps.

CLINICAL AND AUDIOLOGICAL VALUES IN THE EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF HEARING IMPAIRMENTS AND RISK GROUPS AMONG SHIP REPAIR WORKERS

Introduction: The hazardous effect of industrial noise exposure on ship repair workers has been highlighted in a number of studies. However, no data are currently available for studying the effect of noise exposure on the auditory system and general health of ship repair workers. The aim: The study is focused on the early diagnosis of hearing impairments and identifying risk groups among the workers. Materials and methods: It was examined two groups of workers of approximately the same age and length of employment. The Group 1 included workers from the Azov Shiprepair Yard (Mariupol city, Ukraine) who were exposed to workplace noise impact of less than 80 dBA threshold level, the workplace noise level in the Group 2 was above 80 dBA. Audiometric testing was conducted in a sound-treated room using the MA 31 clinical audiometer (Germany). Results: Our findings indicate that all the noise-exposed groups of ship repair workers should be conducted audiometric testing. The hearing levels at the audiometric test frequencies of 4, 6 and 8 kHz, as well as differential thresholds at the audiometric test frequencies of 4 kHz by the Luscher-Zwislocki method should be taken into account. Such complaints as increased annoyance, sleep disorder, tinnitus aurium, hypertension should be considered as most hazardous. Conclusions: We recommend that the ship repair workers undergo routine medical check-ups and systematic prophylactic observation. All these preventive measures will contribute to the early detection of hearing impairments, thereby timely preventing the development and progression of occupational sensorineural hearing loss.

Effect of age and duration of driving on hearing status of Indian agricultural tractor drivers

Tractor noise is critical occupational hazard which is the major cause of hearing impairment among Indian agricultural farm workers. The study aimed to show the effect of age and driving exposure on hearing impairment of drivers. Ninety healthy male subjects of similar age, height, and weight were selected and divided into four groups, i.e. 21–30, 31–40, 41–50, and 51–60 years. The audiometric testing was conducted of both the ears at 10 different frequencies, i.e. 0.125, 0.25, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 kHz. The hearing threshold levels of office workers at audiometric test frequencies did not exceed 25 dB(A) to cause hearing handicap. However, it exceeded 25 dB(A) for tractor drivers and was higher for higher age group tractor drivers. Whereas, it did not exceeded 25 dB(A) at the audiometric test frequencies for the office workers except at 51–60 years of age group. Also, with the increase in age group and increase of driving experience, the mean hearing threshold levels of tractor drivers increase. It was concluded that the occupational hazards of tractor driving significantly increased the hearing threshold levels and the risk is even higher for the tractor drivers with ≥15 years of driving experience. Also, the mean hearing threshold levels for tractor drivers increase with increase in driving experience.

Evaluating a smartphone digits-in-noise test as part of the audiometric test battery

Background: Speech-in-noise tests have become a valuable part of the audiometric test battery providing an indication of a listener’s ability to function in background noise. A simple digits-in-noise (DIN) test could be valuable to support diagnostic hearing assessments, hearing aid fittings and counselling for both paediatric and adult populations. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the South African English smartphone DIN test’s performance as part of the audiometric test battery. Design: This descriptive study evaluated 109 adult subjects (43 male and 66 female subjects) with and without sensorineural hearing loss by comparing pure-tone air conduction thresholds, speech recognition monaural performance scores (SRS dB) and the DIN speech reception threshold (SRT). An additional nine adult hearing aid users (four male and five female subjects) were included in a subset to determine aided and unaided DIN SRTs. Results: The DIN SRT is strongly associated with the best ear 4 frequency pure-tone average (4FPTA) (rs = 0.81) and maximum SRS dB (r = 0.72). The DIN test had high sensitivity and specificity to identify abnormal pure-tone (0.88 and 0.88, respectively) and SRS dB (0.76 and 0.88, respectively) results. There was a mean signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) improvement in the aided condition that demonstrated an overall benefit of 0.84 SNR dB. Conclusion: The DIN SRT was significantly correlated with the best ear 4FPTA and maximum SRS dB. The DIN SRT provides a useful measure of speech recognition in noise that can evaluate hearing aid fittings, manage counselling and hearing expectations.

Hearing Loss Due to Traffic Noise-in Una Town.

Road traffic noise is likely the most thorough and inescapable kind of noise pollution and is in charge of negative effects that are destructive to nature and the nature of group health of mankind. Residential area/towns close by roads are additionally casualty of the issue, extraordinarily have the high danger of hearing loss due to the traffic noise exposure. The Objectives of the present review were to concentrate the attributes of hearing loss and survey the predominance of hearing loss because of traffic on 52 people working 8 to 12 hours close to the periphery of NH 8E going through Una Town by performing audiometric test. Consequence of the present study demonstrates that hearing impairment are common in people persistently exposed to traffic noise. The effect of high-level traffic noise leads to temporary threshold shift and if any person is exposed to such noisy environment may suffer from permanent threshold shift after long period of time.

Hearing Loss in the Elderly: Is the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly - Screening Version Effective in Diagnosis When Compared to the Audiometric Test?

Introduction Hearing losses inherent to the natural process of aging represent today a major public health issue, despite the little attention that their adequate care still receives. Early recognition and proper management of these shortcomings can significantly improve hearing, as well as the patient's general quality of life, reducing the overall impact of this important and prevalent condition of the aging process. Objective The aim of this research was to evaluate the accuracy of the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly - Screening Version (HHIE-S) in the diagnosis of hearing loss in the elderly when compared with the audiometric test. Methods Through a cross-sectional study, our target population was composed of 138 individuals, aged over 60 and with any otorhinolaryngological complaints, recruited at the Clinic of Otorhinolaryngology and Speech Therapy of the Faculdade de Medicina de Marília (Famema), in the city of Marília, SP, Brazil. Patients already in the process of auditory rehabilitation were excluded, as well as those who did not demonstrate the minimum level of oral understanding necessary to allow the interview. Results The prevalence of hearing loss according to the questionnaire was of 76.1%, while audiometry showed 79.7%. We found the diagnostic accuracy of the instrument to be of 86.2%, with a sensitivity of 89.1% and a specificity of 75.0%, regardless of gender. Conclusion Thereby, we conclude that the standardized questionnaire under rating is suitable for the screening of hearing loss in the elderly, given its high accuracy and user-friendly quality.

Cilia and Ear

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of otological complications derived from primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) in adulthood. Methods: Twenty-three patients with diagnosed PCD underwent medical history aimed at recording the presence of ear, nose, and throat manifestations (ENT) and any surgical treatments. The ENT objectivity was annotated, and then patients were subjected to audiometric test, tympanometry, registration of otoacoustic emission, and vestibular evaluation. Results: Otitis media with chronic middle ear effusion (OME) during childhood was reported in 52% of the subjects, no patient had undergone ear surgery, and only 2 patients had an episode of otitis in the last year. Eleven of 23 patients showed normal hearing, 11 had a conductive hearing impairment, and 1 showed a severe sensorineural hearing loss unrelated to the syndrome. The bilateral stapedial reflex was only found in all cases of normoacusia and type A tympanogram, distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) were present in 8 patients, and no patient had vestibular alterations. Conclusion: Our study confirms a very frequent prevalence of OME in PCD during childhood. Careful monitoring of otological complications of the syndrome is always desirable, also given the high presence in adults of other manifestations in the upper airways, such as chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyposis.