Research Paper - Otolaryngology Online Journal (2015) Volume 5, Issue 2

Hearing Loss in Chronic Renal Failure - An Assessment of Multiple Aetiological Factors

Introduction: Sensorineural hearing loss in chronic renal failure is believed to be of mul-tifactorial etiology. Associated hypertension and diabetes mellitus, use of ototoxic drugs, hemodialysis and the changes in metabolic parameters are the various reasons quoted for the hearing loss. Objectives: Our study attempts to correlate the hearing thresholds with the multiple pa-rameters like blood levels of urea, serum cre-atinine, sodium, potassium, calcium and he-moglobin values incriminated in decreased hearing in CRF patients. Materials and methods: Prospective study of 25 patients receiving treatment for CRF. The threshold of the worsen ear was considered for statistical analysis. Results: 18% of the patients at low frequencies (250 and 500 Hz), 32% of the patients at mid-frequencies (1000 and 2000 Hz), and 72% of the patients at high frequencies (4000 and 8000 Hz) had decreased hearing for both bone and air conduction hearing. We found a positive corre-lation between hearing loss and increasing number of hemodialysis sessions, the levels of blood urea, serum creatinine, serum sodium and use of ototoxic drugs; while serum calcium, serum potassium and hemoglobin levels had a negative correlation.

Author(s): Suja Sreedharan, Vishnu Prasad Jayashree Bhat Mahesh Chandra Hegde Salil agarwal Cherukattil Waheeda

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