Hearing Evaluation in Children with Meningitis by Auditory Brainstem Response and Otoacoustic Emissions

Objective: Meningitis is one of the most important causes of sensorineural hearing loss in childhood. Because of the critical situation of patients, proper attention is not usually paid to hearing assessment in meningitis. By early detection and medical intervention at proper time, the retadation of lingual development can be avoided.
Material & Methods: The hearing function of 40 children with meningitis was evaluated at 24-72 hours after diagnosis (acute period) and 24 hours before discharging from hospital (recovery period) with auditory brainstem responses (ABR). All patients 7-14 days after discharge underwent thorough investigation by detecting otoacoustic emissions test (OAE).
Findings: Using the ABR test, during the acute period, 35 (87.5%) patients had normal hearing and in 5 (12.5%) patients severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss was detected. The same results were obtained during recovery period. OAE test showed normal hearing in 37 (92.5%) patients and impaired cochlear function in 3 (7.5%) patients.
Conclusion: Early detection of hearing loss in the acute and recovery period of meningitis can be made by ABR and OAE tests.