Hearing impairment in ventilator-dependent infants and children.
Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is a complication of prematurity that can require months or years of ventilatory support. Among a cohort of 12 such ventilator-dependent patients, half had auditory brainstem response thresholds of 40 dB nHL or worse in the better ear. In 10 of 23 ears the threshold was 50 dB or worse. This incidence of hearing impairment is much greater than for other high-risk premature infants. Although conductive impairment was implicated in many cases, the degree of impairment is greater than that ordinarily seen with middle ear effusion.
Marsh
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Department of Otolaryngology and Human Communication, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Handler
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SD
D001300:Audiometry, Evoked Response; D001309:Auditory Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D001997:Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia / Q000628:therapy*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem / Q000502:physiology*; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D011930:Reaction Time; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*