[Tracking report on the follow-up diagnosis of patients with suspected occupational noise-induced deafness]

Objective: To tracked and analyze the follow-up diagnosis of suspected occupational noise-induced deafness (ONID) patients in an occupational disease diagnosis institution in Guangzhou City from 2020 to 2024. Methods: In December 2024, a retrospective survey method was used to track the reporting, medical consultation, and diagnosis status of suspected ONID patients, as well as to analyze the influencing factors for the confirmation of suspected ONID as ONID. Rate comparisons were conducted using Pearson's χ(2) test or Fisher's exact test for univariate analysis, while related influencing factors were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: Occupational health examination was the most important reporting channel of ONID, and the tracking results showed that the number of confirmed cases, exclusion, incomplete diagnosis and non-treatment accounted for 29.58% (21/71), 32.39% (23/71), 5.63% (4/71) and 32.39% (23/71), respectively. Among the 71 suspected cases, 44 entered the diagnostic procedure and completed the diagnosis, and 21 were finally diagnosed, the diagnosis rate was 47.73% (21/44). There was a statistically significant difference in the confirmed diagnosis rate among patients with different noise exposure working years, better weighted values of auditory threshold, and whether the re-examination interval was standardized or not (P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the length of noise-exposed working years and the standardized time interval for re-examination were the influencing factors for the final diagnosis of ONID in patients with suspected ONID (OR=0.28, 95%CI: 0.08-0.93; OR=14.92, 95%CI: 2.64-84.39; P<0.05) . Conclusion: Micro-sized enterprises are key monitoring targets for suspected ONID. Diagnosing physicians should strengthen management of non-standard re-examination intervals, emphasizing the scientific rigor and accuracy in diagnosing patients with suspected ONID.