Noise exposure in orthopaedic practice: potential health risk

Noise exposure is one of the major causes of permanent hearing loss in society. Exposure of health service staff to intense levels of noise in the workplace is a potential risk for the development of temporary and permanent hearing loss. In this prospective study, 18 members of the orthopaedic staff underwent hearing assessment by pure tone audiometry and speech discrimination prior to noise exposure at the workplace and immediately following cessation of work. The number of hours of exposure and noise levels in the workplace was also analysed. Only minimal temporary sensorineural threshold shifts were detected post-noise exposure. There was no change in speech discrimination scores and no individuals complained of tinnitus. The number of hours of exposure ranged from 1.5 to 8.5 hours (mean 5.2 hours). Recorded sound levels for instruments ranged from 119.6 dB at source to 73.1 decibels at 3 metres. Although high sound levels are recorded in the orthopaedic operating theatre, the intermittent nature exposure to the intense noise may protect staff against hearing loss, speech discrimination difficulties and tinnitus.