title: Otologic injuries caused by airbag deployment.
abstract: Airbags are clearly successful at mitigating injury severity during motor vehicle accidents. Deployment unfortunately has introduced new injury-causing mechanisms. A retrospective review of 20 patients who sustained otologic injuries resulting from airbag inflation was conducted. The most common symptoms were hearing loss in 17 (85%) and tinnitus in 17 (85%). Objective hearing loss was documented in 21 of 24 (88%) subjectively affected ears; this included unilateral and bilateral sensorineural, unilateral conductive, and mixed hearing losses. Ten patients (50%) had dysequilibrium. Four subjects (20%) had a tympanic membrane perforation; each required surgical closure. Ear orientation toward the airbag was found to be associated with hearing loss (P = 0.027), aural fullness (P = 0.039), and tympanic membrane perforation (P = 0.0004). A wide variety of airbag-induced otologic injuries occur and may have long-term sequelae. It is important for health care personnel to be aware of these potential problems.
authors.affiliation: Michigan Ear Institute, Department of Otolaryngology, Farmington Hills, MI 48334, USA.
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Mcfeely
authors.forename: D I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Bojrab
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: D F
authors.initials: DF
authors.lastname: Hegyi
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017278:Air Bags / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001302:Audiometry, Speech; D002648:Child; D003638:Deafness / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D014012:Tinnitus / Q000209:etiology*; D018058:Tympanic Membrane Perforation / Q000209:etiology*