Prevalence of speech and language disorders in the United Arab Emirates

Two hundred and six cases with speech and language disorders were evaluated at the Otolaryngology Clinic of Mafraq Hospital from March 1987 until March 1989. The analysis of the results suggests that males had a greater propensity for speech and language disorders than females. Prevalence of delayed speech and language with hearing loss was found to be higher than other speech disorders. Analysis also shows that there is a need for early identification and rehabilitation of hearing impaired children

Experience with auditory evoked potentials at Mafraq Hospital

Auditory evoked potentials are being used routinely with difficult to test children, malingerers and subjects with suspected neuro-otological involvement. Of the 1574 subjects asessed by the audiology department, only 95 required auditory evoked potentials test. A brief description of auditory brainstem response [ABR] and the procedure followed at the Mafraq Hospital are given. The discussion includes 4 illustrative subjects on whom diagnosis was made primarily by means of brain stem audiometry

Convulsions induced by ear suctioning

A patient with a history of chronic otitis media and cholesteatoma had a radical mastoidectomy continued having an ear discharge. During early manipulation of the ear, he experienced severe vertigo and on two occasions developed grand mal seizures during cleansing of the ear