[The audiometric evaluation of Buenos Aires schoolchildren]

This cross-sectional study, which was carried out between 3 May and 30 September 1993, involved examination with a pediatric otoscope of a random sample of 100 first-grade schoolchildren in a Buenos Aires hospital, followed by tonal audiometry and tonal sweep in 90 of those children. The objectives of the study were to discover the frequency of hearing disorders and to evaluate the importance of audiometric screening in the child population. The results were classified according to the type (conduction or perception) and degree (mild, moderate, or severe) of hypoacusis, which was detected in 36 children (39%). Of those affected, 35 had mild or moderate conduction hypoacusis (loss of less than 31 decibels [dB] or less than 41 dB, respectively). No case of severe hypoacusis was found. The authors consider that audiometric screening of children entering primary school is justified by the high frequency of preventable hearing problems and by the repercussions that those problems can have on speech and learning.