title: Hearing loss associated with neonatal ECMO: a clinical investigation.
abstract: To answer the question as to the prevalence of sensori-neural hearing loss (SNHL) among neonates receiving ECMO, a retrospective chart review was conducted on 198 infants having surgery between November 1987 and January 1995. One hundred fifty-seven (79.7%) survived. One hundred thirty infants met our criteria of having a pre-discharge auditory brainstem evoked response (ABR) test and at least one follow-up behavioral audiologic examination. Strict criteria were set for normal hearing on both the ABR and follow-up examinations. Only follow-up results are reported. At the time of the most recent follow-up examination, two children could not be adequately studied, 106 exhibited normal hearing, 21 (16%) exhibited either unilateral or bilateral conductive hearing loss and three (2.3%) exhibited unilateral or bilateral SNHL. Only one child is using amplification. With the largest sample size to date, we found a lower prevalence of SNHL after ECMO than has been previously noted in the literature. Although the prevalence of hearing loss is low, the post-ECMO group of infants must be considered at risk for hearing loss. The prevalence of hearing loss cannot be based solely on a pre-discharge ABR, i.e. ongoing follow-up testing is necessary.
authors.affiliation: Charity League Hearing and Speech Center for Children, Children's Hospital, Birmingham, Alabama 35233, USA.
authors.forename: R S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Sweitzer
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lowry
authors.forename: K E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Georgeson
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Nelson
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D016057:Evoked Potentials, Auditory, Brain Stem; D015199:Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000150:complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies