Click evoked otoacoustic emissions in neonatal screening

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Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations
06:34

Infant Auditory Processing and Event-related Brain Oscillations

Published on: July 1, 2015

J C Stevens1, H D Webb, J Hutchinson

  • 1Department of Medical Physics and Clinical Engineering, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK.

Ear and Hearing
|April 1, 1990
PubMed

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.

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