title: Auditory and vestibular function in hyperbaric oxygen.
abstract: The therapeutic value of high partial pressures of oxygen is limited by the toxicity of oxygen. Pulmonary damage, visual impairment, and convulsions are known hazards during hyperoxic exposure, but dose-effect relationships have not been quantified for specific organs or functions. As part of an integrated study of organ oxygen tolerance in man (Predictive Study V of the Institute for Environmental Medicine), auditory and vestibular function was evaluated in man before, during, and after exposure to 100% oxygen at 3 atmospheres absolute pressure for 2 to 3.5 hours. No alterations in hearing or equilibrium were detected, suggesting that ototoxicity is not a factor that would limit exposure under these conditions.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001299:Audiometry; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D002150:Caloric Tests; D004584:Electronystagmography; D006309:Hearing; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance