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Exposure to occupational noise: otoacoustic emissions test alterations
Frederico Prudente Marques1, Everardo Andrade da Costa
1Hospital CEMEP, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, and School of Public Health, University of São Paulo, Brazil. fpm@usp.br
Unlabelled:
Exposure to occupational noise may cause injuries to the inner ear, and the distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) may identify initial auditory alterations, thus assisting NIHL early diagnosis.
Aim:
The goal of this study was to evaluate DPOAE as a method to diagnose early physiopathological alterations caused by occupational noise exposure.
Study Design:
Transversal.
Methods:
74 workers of the University of São Paulo, in the capital city of the State, participated in this investigation. They were divided in two age-matched groups and with tonal audiometric values within the acceptable limits: 37 were exposed to occupational noise and 37 were not exposed.
Results:
Risk estimates (Odds Ratio) of absent DPOAE was 12 fold higher for the group exposed to occupational noise (CI 95% 3.1-45.9), in the frequencies of 3. 4 and 6 kHz.
Conclusion:
DPOAE may be useful in the identification of physiopathological hearing alterations caused by exposure to occupational noise, even in individuals with tonal audiometric responses within acceptable limits.
