Auditory brainstem response [ABR] findings in post-meningitic children

Auditory brainstem response [ABR] was performed on 39 children after the recovery from meningitis in addition to 20 healthy children served as controls. Hearing loss was detected in the form of sensorineural hearing loss in 16 patients of which ten had bilateral profound hearing loss. A mild conductive hearing loss was present in four patients and 19 patients showed normal hearing. Brainstem abnormalities were present in the form of prolonged latencies of waves I, V, interwave latencies of I-III and I-V. The age of onset of meningitis and associated neurologic complications were not associated with an increased incidence of hearing loss