Otoacoustic Emissions Testing to Identify Hearing Loss in the ICU: A Feasibility Study
OBJECTIVES:. Hearing impairment is associated with delirium among ICU patients and a lack of functional recovery among older ICU survivors. We assessed the feasibility of using otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) testing to screen for preexisting hearing loss in the ICU. DESIGN:. Pilot study. SETTING:. Med...
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| Language: | English |
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Wolters Kluwer
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Critical Care Explorations |
| Online Access: | http://journals.lww.com/10.1097/CCE.0000000000001223 |
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| author | Ramya Kaushik, MD Nicholas Reed, AuD, PhD Lauren E. Ferrante, MD, MHS |
| author_facet | Ramya Kaushik, MD Nicholas Reed, AuD, PhD Lauren E. Ferrante, MD, MHS |
| author_sort | Ramya Kaushik, MD |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | OBJECTIVES:. Hearing impairment is associated with delirium among ICU patients and a lack of functional recovery among older ICU survivors. We assessed the feasibility of using otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) testing to screen for preexisting hearing loss in the ICU.
DESIGN:. Pilot study.
SETTING:. Medical ICU at a tertiary medical center.
PATIENTS:. All adults (age ≥ 18) and admitted to the medical ICU between November 29, 2021, and December 03, 2021, were eligible for the study.
INTERVENTIONS:. OAE is a noninvasive, nonparticipatory tool that is used to screen for hearing loss by detecting intracochlear motion in response to auditory stimulation. The presence or absence of OAE was tested at six frequencies (1 k, 1.5 k, 2 k, 3 k, 4 k hertz).
MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:. The primary outcome of feasibility was defined a priori as completion of greater than or equal to 70% of attempted tests. Average time of test completion and barriers or facilitators were also measured as outcomes. A patient passed OAE testing if at least two of six frequencies were detected in at least one ear, suggesting they did not have moderate or severe hearing impairment (that would require an amplifier). Data were also gathered on demographics, delirium, ventilation, sedation, illness severity, and ambient noise. Of 31 patients approached, 23 (74.2%) underwent testing. Eight patients (25.8%) were unable to be tested, most commonly due to elevated ambient noise. Among the 18 patients with complete data, six patients screened positive for hearing loss. The average time for OAE test completion per ear was 152.6 seconds (sd = 97.6 s).
CONCLUSIONS:. OAE testing is a feasible method to screen for hearing loss in the ICU, including in nonparticipatory patients. Identification of hearing loss would facilitate improved communication through interventions such as amplifiers and accommodations. Future studies should evaluate whether identification and treatment of hearing loss in the ICU may reduce delirium and improve post-ICU recovery. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a33ccf8e6e484860a874bfce5655b693 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2639-8028 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Wolters Kluwer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Critical Care Explorations |
| spelling | doaj-art-a33ccf8e6e484860a874bfce5655b6932025-08-20T03:40:21ZengWolters KluwerCritical Care Explorations2639-80282025-03-0173e122310.1097/CCE.0000000000001223202503000-00005Otoacoustic Emissions Testing to Identify Hearing Loss in the ICU: A Feasibility StudyRamya Kaushik, MD0Nicholas Reed, AuD, PhD1Lauren E. Ferrante, MD, MHS21 Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.2 Optimal Aging Institute, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY.3 Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT.OBJECTIVES:. Hearing impairment is associated with delirium among ICU patients and a lack of functional recovery among older ICU survivors. We assessed the feasibility of using otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) testing to screen for preexisting hearing loss in the ICU. DESIGN:. Pilot study. SETTING:. Medical ICU at a tertiary medical center. PATIENTS:. All adults (age ≥ 18) and admitted to the medical ICU between November 29, 2021, and December 03, 2021, were eligible for the study. INTERVENTIONS:. OAE is a noninvasive, nonparticipatory tool that is used to screen for hearing loss by detecting intracochlear motion in response to auditory stimulation. The presence or absence of OAE was tested at six frequencies (1 k, 1.5 k, 2 k, 3 k, 4 k hertz). MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS:. The primary outcome of feasibility was defined a priori as completion of greater than or equal to 70% of attempted tests. Average time of test completion and barriers or facilitators were also measured as outcomes. A patient passed OAE testing if at least two of six frequencies were detected in at least one ear, suggesting they did not have moderate or severe hearing impairment (that would require an amplifier). Data were also gathered on demographics, delirium, ventilation, sedation, illness severity, and ambient noise. Of 31 patients approached, 23 (74.2%) underwent testing. Eight patients (25.8%) were unable to be tested, most commonly due to elevated ambient noise. Among the 18 patients with complete data, six patients screened positive for hearing loss. The average time for OAE test completion per ear was 152.6 seconds (sd = 97.6 s). CONCLUSIONS:. OAE testing is a feasible method to screen for hearing loss in the ICU, including in nonparticipatory patients. Identification of hearing loss would facilitate improved communication through interventions such as amplifiers and accommodations. Future studies should evaluate whether identification and treatment of hearing loss in the ICU may reduce delirium and improve post-ICU recovery.http://journals.lww.com/10.1097/CCE.0000000000001223 |
| spellingShingle | Ramya Kaushik, MD Nicholas Reed, AuD, PhD Lauren E. Ferrante, MD, MHS Otoacoustic Emissions Testing to Identify Hearing Loss in the ICU: A Feasibility Study Critical Care Explorations |
| title | Otoacoustic Emissions Testing to Identify Hearing Loss in the ICU: A Feasibility Study |
| title_full | Otoacoustic Emissions Testing to Identify Hearing Loss in the ICU: A Feasibility Study |
| title_fullStr | Otoacoustic Emissions Testing to Identify Hearing Loss in the ICU: A Feasibility Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Otoacoustic Emissions Testing to Identify Hearing Loss in the ICU: A Feasibility Study |
| title_short | Otoacoustic Emissions Testing to Identify Hearing Loss in the ICU: A Feasibility Study |
| title_sort | otoacoustic emissions testing to identify hearing loss in the icu a feasibility study |
| url | http://journals.lww.com/10.1097/CCE.0000000000001223 |
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