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Hearing loss following Hemophilus influenzae meningitis in infancy. Diagnosis by evoked response audiometry
Insights
Auditory brain-stem evoked response (ABER) testing is more effective than conditioned orienting response (COR) for early hearing loss diagnosis in infants with bacterial meningitis. ABER aids in identifying hearing deficits in very young infants and those with complex needs.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Audiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Bacterial meningitis is a significant cause of childhood sensorineural hearing loss.
- Early diagnosis of hearing impairment is crucial for timely intervention and management in affected children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of auditory brain-stem evoked response (ABER) testing with conditioned orienting response (COR) testing.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of these methods in the early diagnosis of postmeningitic deafness in infants.
Main Methods:
- The study included 34 infants under 2 years old diagnosed with Hemophilus influenzae meningitis.
- Auditory brain-stem evoked response (ABER) and conditioned orienting response (COR) audiometry were employed for hearing assessment.
Main Results:
- Results from ABER and COR testing agreed in 62% of the children.
- ABER testing demonstrated superior efficacy in infants younger than 6 months.
- ABER was also more effective for older children with perceptual handicaps and for detecting unilateral hearing loss.
Conclusions:
- Auditory brain-stem evoked response (ABER) testing is a more effective tool than COR audiometry for early hearing loss detection in infants post-meningitis.
- ABER's advantages are particularly notable in very young infants and those with specific challenges, improving diagnostic accuracy.
Abstract:
Bacterial meningitis is a major cause of sensorineural hearing loss during childhood. This study compared the efficacy of auditory brain-stem evoked response (ABER) testing with conventional conditioned orienting response (COR) testing in the early diagnosis of postmeningitic deafness in 34 infants younger than 2 years of age, with a diagnosis of Hemophilus influenzae meningitis. In most of the children (62%), results of the two tests were in agreement. The use of ABER testing appeared to be more effective than COR audiometry for the testing of infants younger than 6 months of age, for older children with perceptual handicaps, and for the identification of small children with unilateral hearing loss.