Claudia Alarcón Avila , Angie Tatiana Saenz González , Luisa Fernanda Vivas Gómez , Maira Alejandra Rivero Centeno , María José Silva Ortiz , Laura Camila Salazar Vera , Daniela Alejandra Osorio Beltrán , David Díaz-Báez
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Congenital hearing loss (CHL) affects language development and quality of life of children. Although high-income countries have implemented neonatal hearing screening (NHS) programs, data regarding the implementation of such programs in middle-income countries are limited. This study evaluated NHS coverage and the incidence of hearing loss, the diagnostic performance of two screening tests, and the associated risk factors (RFs), characterizations, and two-year follow-up data of affected infants in a middle-income country.
Methods
An ambispective cohort study was conducted in a high-complexity hospital in Bogotá, Colombia (2020–2023). Screening was performed in two stages using otoacoustic emissions (OAE) and automated brainstem response (ABR) evaluations. Infants who failed both stages were referred to otolaryngological assessments. Poisson regression was used to identify the associated RFs, and the diagnostic performance metrics for OAE assessment were estimated using the ABR data as the reference.
Results
The NHS coverage was 69.8 %. CHL was diagnosed in four children (3/1.000). The follow-up rate was 75 %. Neonatal unit admission was associated with a higher risk of CHL (relative risk: 10.77, 95 % confidence interval: 2.10–5.18). In the first stage, OAE assessment showed 72.2 % sensitivity and 99.4 % specificity, while in the second stage, their sensitivity and specificity were 71.4 % and 100 %, respectively. The agreement between OAE and ABR assessments was substantial in the first stage (κ = 0.791) and moderate in the second stage (κ = 0.397).
Conclusions
These findings emphasize the importance of implementing strategies to improve NHS coverage and ensure comprehensive follow-up in middle-income countries, thereby improving the quality of life of patients in these countries. Despite the high specificity and sensitivity, the variability in test agreement highlights the need for structured two-stage screening protocols combining OAE and ABR assessments.
期刊介绍:
The purpose of the International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology is to concentrate and disseminate information concerning prevention, cure and care of otorhinolaryngological disorders in infants and children due to developmental, degenerative, infectious, neoplastic, traumatic, social, psychiatric and economic causes. The Journal provides a medium for clinical and basic contributions in all of the areas of pediatric otorhinolaryngology. This includes medical and surgical otology, bronchoesophagology, laryngology, rhinology, diseases of the head and neck, and disorders of communication, including voice, speech and language disorders.