Auditory Brainstem Responses in Infants Recovering From Bacterial Meningitis: Audiologic Evaluation

Abstract

\s=b\Auditory brainstem response (ABR) was used to assess possible hearing loss in 60 patients recovering from bacterial meningitis. The ABR results were consistent with either unilateral or bilateral hearing loss in 35% of the cases tested. Of these, 15% were conductive-type hearing loss. Twelve percent had sensorineural hearing losses and normal brainstem function. The remaining 8% had elevated ABR thresholds coincident with findings suggestive of neuropathology of the auditory brainstem pathways. A case of reversible sensorineural hearing loss was documented. Various clinical and demographic factors were examined to determine their predictive value with regard to hearing loss. As expected, otitis media occurred significantly with conductive hearing loss. Type of pathogen (Streptococcus pneumoniae) and hospitalization greater than two weeks were significantly correlated with sensorineural hearing loss. As meningitis typically affects young children who are difficult to test with conventional audiometry, ABR provides an effective means of testing hearing in this population. (Arch Otolaryngol 1983;109:13-18) Bacterial meningitis is the leading reported cause of acquired deaf¬ ness in infants and young children.Fully 37% of all specified postnatal causes of hearing loss among students enrolled in special education pro¬ grams for the hearing impaired in the United States is attributed to menin-

Decrease in Rates of Hearing Loss From Pediatric Bacterial Meningitis Over Time: A Database Review

“…13 There was a decreased rate of hearing loss from S. pneumoniae meningitis in this modern group (17%) compared to older cohorts that reported rates from 31% to 57%. 6,12,14 The 7.7% rate of hearing loss in the N. meningiditis meningitis group was similar to and slightly lower than previously reported in historical cohorts with 10%-24% rates of hearing loss. 6,12 In this modern cohort, there was a higher rate of hearing loss from H. influenza meningitis (12.6%) compared to previous articles with 0%-7% rate of hearing loss from non-Hib H. influenza meningitis.…”

“…As previously known, pneumococcal and Hemophilus meningitis were the most common diagnoses associated with hearing loss, followed by meningococcal meningitis 13 . There was a decreased rate of hearing loss from S. pneumoniae meningitis in this modern group (17%) compared to older cohorts that reported rates from 31% to 57% 6,12,14 . The 7.7% rate of hearing loss in the N. meningiditis meningitis group was similar to and slightly lower than previously reported in historical cohorts with 10%–24% rates of hearing loss 6,12 .…”

Recovery of Abnormal ABR in Neonates and Infants at Risk of Hearing Loss

“…Except for the HR infants, complete or partial restoration of abnormal ABRs has also been reported in pediatric patients suffering from a variety of medical conditions, such as meningitis [22], metabolic diseases [23, 24], Cogan's syndrome [25], and auditory neuropathy [26, 27]. The present study adds a considerable number of infants showing the phenomenon of sensorineural hearing loss restoration to those already reported by other researchers.…”

Auditory function in early syphilis A follow up study

“…The course of the hearing function in these two cases somewhat resembles the reversible hearing loss reported to occur after meningitis (Dodge and Schwartz, 1965;Nadol, 1978;Rosenhall and Kankkunen, 1980). Brainstem dysfunction revealed by ABR has recently been reported to occur in patients with meningitis (Ozdamar et al, 1983).…”