Related Experiment Videos
Click evoked otoacoustic emissions in neonatal screening
J C Stevens1, H D Webb, J Hutchinson
1Department of Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK.
Insights
Evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAE) offer a practical hearing screening for neonates in intensive care. While effective for initial screening, further data is needed to confirm long-term hearing impairment detection.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal audiology
- Otoacoustic emissions
- Hearing impairment screening
Background:
- Neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) require efficient hearing screening methods.
- Auditory brain stem response (ABR) is a standard but time-consuming test.
- Evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAE) present a potentially faster alternative.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of EOAE as a primary hearing screening tool for neonates in intensive care.
- To compare the performance of EOAE with ABR in detecting hearing impairment.
- To assess the practicality and time efficiency of EOAE.
Main Methods:
- Testing 723 neonates in intensive care using EOAE and ABR.
- Conducting follow-up tests on 331 infants up to 2 years of age.
- Analyzing sensitivity and selectivity of EOAE against ABR up to 3 months post due date.
Main Results:
- EOAE is practical and quick, with 80% of NICU infants producing a recordable emission.
- EOAE sensitivity and selectivity to ABR were 93% and 84%, respectively, within 3 months post due date.
- Follow-up data showed mixed results, including false positives and negatives; severe hearing impairment incidence was 2 in 331.
Conclusions:
- EOAE is suitable as a primary hearing screening for neonates due to its speed and practicality.
- Current sensitivity and selectivity suggest EOAE is a viable alternative to ABR for initial screening.
- Further research with larger cohorts and longer follow-up is necessary to confirm EOAE's long-term hearing impairment detection capabilities.
Abstract:
Seven hundred and twenty-three neonates under intensive care have been tested by evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAE) and the auditory brain stem response (ABR) to investigate the use of EOAE as a test for hearing impairment. Three hundred and thirty-one have had follow-up tests to the age of at least 2 years. The EOAE test has been found to be practical and quick to perform. The proportion of NICU infants producing a recordable EOAE is 80%, and the sensitivity and selectivity to the ABR result in the period up to 3 months post due date is 93 and 84%, respectively. These figures are high enough and the reduction in time compared to ABR is sufficient for the EOAE to be considered as the primary screen. The follow-up data show mixed results with both false positives and false negatives present. The incidence of severe hearing impairment is close to that expected from retrospective studies at 2 in 331 (1 bilateral, 1 unilateral). Firm conclusions on the sensitivity of EOAE to long-term hearing impairment await the results from larger numbers of infants and further follow up data.