Περίληψη:
Introduction
The introduction of newborn hearing screening programs (NHSP) has
drastically contributed to the early diagnosis of hearing loss (HL) in
children, with the prospect of children developing speech as early as
possible. This retrospective study aims to present and discuss the
preliminary results of the NHSP at the University Hospital of Patras,
Greece, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the program. The
evaluation of the implementation of NHSP is important to confirm the
effectiveness of the process and elaborate system failures.
Materials
The study describes the results of previous data collected from the NHSP
in the Rio hospital of Patra and analyzed the conditions of the sample
collected. The random sample involved newborns horn between November
2018 - December 2020 at the University Hospital in Patra, Greece, which
was assessed using transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs).
Testing was performed twice per week on Thursday and Friday with a
random sample, specifically examining the babies in the hospital these
days. From the 2014 newborns assessed, 1491 were healthy neonates, while
the other 523 required hospitalization in the neonatal unit.
Results
In total, there were 2014 live births; 1491 healthy neonates were
screened with TEOAEs. Of them, 44 did not pass the first test. After
retesting one month later, 31 passed the test, while the other 13 were
referred to a hearing centre for further audiological testing with
auditory brainstem response (ABR) tests. Two infants never showed up for
the follow-up appointment. Of the remaining 11, six infants had normal
hearing, three had otitis media with effusion or other conductive HL.
The last two infants had HL. Specifically, one had bilateral
sensorineural HL greater than 40db, and one had unilateral sensorineural
HL greater than 40db.
Risk factors were identified in 523 newborns admitted to the unit. The
most common risk factors identified were the use of ototoxic drugs, low
Apgar scores, and prematurity. Of all the newborns, 491 passed the test
the first time, and the rest 32 infants came back 1-2 months after
leaving the neonatal unit. All the babies who had failed in the first
screening test appeared for the follow-up appointment for the second
screening test. Of these, 24 babies passed the test, but eight did not.
Of these, four were diagnosed with media otitis with effusion or other
conductive HL. Sensorineural HL was identified in the last four babies
using ABR tests. In detail, two had unilateral sensorineural HL greater
than 40db, while two had bilateral sensorineural HL greater than 40db.
Conclusion
In conclusion, we found that for the NHS programs to be effective, they
must be implemented long-term and have monetary support. Early diagnosis
and cochlear implantation are the keys to excellent outcomes.
Cooperation between different specialties and a patient-centred approach
will help physicians holistically face neonatal HL. Building trust
between the parents and doctor is essential for the program's success
and reducing the lost-to-follow-up rate. lb run a successful program,
trained staff, equipment, and financial support are required. However,
the gold standards for the success of the program are proper
implementation of the program, close follow-up, strict adherence to the
guidelines in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and the early
detection and diagnosis of HL.
Συγγραφείς:
Kosmidou, Panagiota
Tzifas, Sotiris
Lygeros, Spyros and
Danielides, Gerasimos
Nikolopoulos, Thomas
Dimitriou, Gabriel
and Angelis, Stavros
Naxakis, Stefanos
