Browsing by Subject "hearing loss"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Exploring the audiological management of young children (0-6 years) diagnosed with bacterial meningitis
    (2019) Tromp, Nikki; Ramma, Lebogang; Hlayisi, Vera-Genevey
    Background. Internationally, infectious diseases remain the greatest cause of morbidity among young children. Infectious disease burden is particularly high in low-to-mid income countries (LMIC). South Africa has a high prevalence of bacterial meningitis (BM), especially in children under the age of five. BM is also one of the commonest causes of acquired hearing loss in children. Given the fluctuating and transient nature of BM-related hearing loss, there is a need for an effective audiological protocol to facilitate timeous and appropriate audiological management. There is currently no universally accepted protocol for the audiological referral and management of children diagnosed with BM. Consequently, there is a need for an evidence-based protocol that will ensure timely referral and audiological testing of all children diagnosed with BM. Early identification of BM-related hearing loss in children will allow for timeous, appropriate audiological management and associated benefits, such as an option for placement in mainstream schooling. Objectives. This study aimed to explore the audiological management of children diagnosed with BM at a tertiary hospital in the Western Cape, South Africa, with reference to: patterns of referral for audiological assessment following a diagnosis of BM; current audiological protocols for the management of children diagnosed with BM. It was anticipated that this study would generate evidence that could potentially be used to develop appropriate protocols for the audiological management of children diagnosed with BM in LMICs, specifically South Africa. Methods. A retrospective record review was conducted using patient folders of children between 0 and 6 years who were treated for BM between May 2016 and May 2018. Data collection took place at Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, which has a paediatric infectious diseases unit and an audiology department. Demographic and audiological data were recorded on a self-developed data abstraction form and data were analysed descriptively. Results. A total of 291 patient folders were accessed for review in this study. Of those, 40 (13.7%) met the inclusion criteria for the study and were selected for review. The majority of excluded folders were for patients not referred for audiological testing post-BM diagnosis. For those children referred to audiology, average referral time was 15 days (SD = 24 days) and each patient attended an average of only 2 audiology appointments. Otoacoustic emissions testing and tympanometry were the most commonly performed audiological tests in all children. BM-related hearing loss developed in 2/19 of these patients. All patients who were diagnosed with BM-related hearing loss were subsequently fitted with hearing aids – one of whom was fitted unilaterally with a hearing aid and the other, a cochlear implant candidate, was lost to follow-up. Conclusions. The key challenge experienced in this study was low referral rates to audiology (16%), which was followed by poor adherence to follow-up appointments – both of which were found to impede effective audiological management. Effective management and prevention of BM-related hearing loss pose challenges in LMICs. This study highlights the need for a well-defined referral pathway and an evidence-based protocol for the audiological management of children with BM within the South African health care setting. If this could be achieved, the early identification of hearing loss in these children has the potential to provide them with developmental, scholastic, and working opportunities in line with those of children with normal hearing.
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    Influential factors in driving confidence among hearing-impaired older adults in Cape Town
    (2020) Cohen, Romy; Rogers, Christine; Chouhan Jay
    Research has shown that age-related hearing loss may have profound implications on all aspects of an individual's life, including cognitive abilities. The relationship between hearing loss and cognition has led to research which indicates an association between objective hearing loss and reduced driving performance in older adults. However, little research exists on the relationship between self-perceived hearing loss and driving confidence, particularly in the South African context. The current study aimed to identify possible associations between driving confidence and hearing loss, age, sex and driving safety among older adults. Data analysis indicated a significant increase in driving confidence after one month of first-time hearing aid use. An insignificant or weak relationship was found between self-perceived hearing loss and level of driving confidence. Age, sex and a combination of both were significantly associated with level of driving confidence. No association was found between pure-tone average and level of driving confidence or between pure-tone average and driving safety. Further research in this area could assist in advising legislation relating to licensing and road safety campaigns targeted at older adults, as well as expanding audiologists' duty of care to include counselling on the potential positive effects of hearing aid use on driving confidence.
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    TEDI 2 Week 2 - Understanding Hearing Loss
    (2019-06-01) Kuhn, Tara
    In this video, Tara describes how we hear and how hearing status may be described and understood. She explains how sound travels to the brain and defines the different types of hearing loss. She further explains why teachers need to understand how hearing works. This video lecture 2/11 of week 2 of the course: Educating Deaf Children: Becoming an Empowered Teacher.
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    The Epidemiology of Auditory Dysfunction in Type 2 Diabetic Adults in Africa: 4 A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
    (2022) Fihla, Achuma; Engel, Mark; Petersen, Lucretia; Hohlfeld, Ameer
    Background: There is a growing rate of diabetes related hearing loss (HL) worldwide. However, in under-developed countries, HL is still under-recognised as a complication of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Although Africa presents a significant rise in T2DM every year, it is met with limited resources to assist its growing and ageing population. Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis brings awareness to diabetes-related HL in the form of reliable medical evidence measuring the prevalence of T2DM-related HL in an African population. Methods: Studies were screened using Rayyan QCRI. STATA software and the random-effects metaanalysis model was used to aggregate prevalence estimates with a 95% confidence interval. The Freeman Tukey Transformation was used to account for between study variability. The study protocol is published in PROSPERO international Register of Systematic Reviews (registration number CRD42021227801). Results: We identified a total of 99 studies, 14 duplicates were removed and 67 were excluded. After full review only five studies were included for quantitative synthesis. All the studied were crosssectional and used purposive sampling as their recruitment method. Conclusions: Findings show most participants with T2DM experienced mild HL and slight delays in objective hearing assessments. Audiometric resources and qualified Audiologists are scarce in Africa. Therefore, the available evidence does not justify the added costs needed for routine audiometric assessments for patients with T2DM. However, it does serve to recommend prioritising further research regarding risk factors associated with developing auditory disorders in people with T2DM.