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Does spinal anesthesia cause hearing loss in the obstetric population?
Helene Finegold1, Gordon Mandell, Manuel Vallejo
1Magee-Women's Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 300 Halket Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. Finegoldh@anes.upmc.edu
Anesthesia and Analgesia
|June 29, 2002
Summary
Subarachnoid block (SAB) anesthesia for cesarean delivery does not cause hearing loss in parturients. This study found no significant hearing changes in women receiving SAB with either pencil-point or cutting-point needles.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Audiology
- Obstetrics
Background:
- Cerebrospinal fluid leakage after lumbar puncture is a suspected cause of hearing loss in older individuals.
- The potential impact of subarachnoid block (SAB) on hearing in parturients has not been extensively studied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effects of SAB on hearing in parturients undergoing elective cesarean delivery.
- To compare the impact of pencil-point (Sprotte) versus cutting-point (Quincke) spinal needles on hearing outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Sixty obstetric patients were divided into three groups: lumbar epidural block (controls), SAB with Sprotte needle, and SAB with Quincke needle.
- Hearing was assessed using a tone audiometer across various frequencies before anesthesia, after delivery, and on postoperative days 1 and 2.
- Data were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance.
Main Results:
- No patient in any group experienced hearing loss at either low or high frequencies.
- There were no statistically significant changes in hearing observed throughout the study period for any participant.
Conclusions:
- Subarachnoid block anesthesia, regardless of the type of spinal needle used (pencil-point or cutting-point), does not lead to significant hearing loss in the obstetric population.
- These findings suggest that SAB is a safe anesthetic technique concerning auditory function in women undergoing cesarean delivery.