EXPOSIÇÃO A FATORES DE RISCO PARA PERDA AUDITIVA EM NEONATOS INTERNADOS NA UTI NEONATAL DE SANTO ÂNGELO - RS

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the exposure of neonates admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit to risk factors for hearing loss. Methods: This is an observational, cross-sectional, and descriptive study, carried out between March and June 2017. Observations and data collection were carried out in 16 days, in different shifts. The risk factors evaluated were: use of ototoxic drugs, congenital infections, mechanical ventilation for more than five days, birth weight below 1500g, ear malformations, and exposure to high noise levels. Convenience sampling, composed of premature neonates admitted to the Hospital of Santo Ângelo, located in the municipality of Santo Ângelo, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Results: The study covered 30 neonates, 50% male, and 50% female. The average hospital stay was 20 days and the gestational age was 32 weeks. All neonates were exposed to at least one risk factor: use of ototoxic drugs (93.30%), weight below 1500 g (46.60%), mechanical ventilation for more than five days (23.33%), meningitis (3.3%), and congenital infections (3.3%). The other risk factors were not found in the sample. Conclusion: It was possible to assess the presence of risk factors in neonates, comparing with data from the literature. Still, it was noted the importance of neonatal hearing screening, to diagnose and intervene early in hearing loss, as well as the need for health care programs, newborns and mothers, as well as strategies that reduce the occurrence of risk factors in neonatal units. Recebido em: 29 de maio de 2020 | Aceito em: 2 de dezembro de 2020.