Factors of hearing impairment among Saudi children: a comparative epidemiological study

To determine and compare the various risk factors for hearing impairment in the four major regions of Saudi Arabia. Materials and Nine thousand five hundred forty children below the age of 15 were surveyed from the four major provinces of Saudi Arabia. A questionnaire was filled and an ENT examination with audiological assessement were carried out for each child. The various risk factors were studied. Nine thousand, five hundred and forty children were screened. Out of these 13% were hearing impaired and 8% were at risk of hearing impairment. Consanguinous marriages, failure to attend antenatal clinics, abnormal pregnancy and labour, prematurity, lack of immunization, xenthematous diseases and jaundice were the risk factors for hearing impairment, The Western and Southern regions of Saudi Arabia were found to have the highest rate of some of these risk factors. Conclusions: Consanguinous marriages should be discouraged. Attendance of antenatal clinics and immunization should be encouraged through proper health education and counseling programmes

Training of health care workers in the use of the otoscope

Otoscopy, a subjective clinical method, is used by many physicians and nurses to assess the condition of the ear canal, the tympanic membrane and the presence or absence of otitis media. To train doctors and nurses working in health centers to perform otoscopy and assess their ability to distinguish between normal and abnormal ears, when to treat or refer patients for further management. Materials and Twenty doctors and twenty nurses were given basic intensive courses in the ear and the use of otoscopy. They were given 10 patients to examine each, before and after the course.Results showed marked improvement in the average competence level of both doctors and nurses in using otoscopes. If these training courses were adopted for health-care workers the results would help to increase the overall quality of care, rationalize and minimize referral to ENT specialists and help in carrying out the proper treatment at an early stage

surgery of childhood hearing impairment

To study the current status of hearing impairment among children in the different provinces of Saudi Arabia, and to compare the findings with previous .studies carried out in the Kingdom and abroad. To study the various risk factors related to hearing impairment. A randomly selected sample of 9540 children were examined. A field work was carried out to enumerate and number the various areas of the different provinces of the Kingdom. A survey team performed clinical examination and completed the questionnaire form. The hearing was tested using free sound, speech, tuning forks, pure tone and tympanometry. The data was analyzed by x[2] test using EPJ. INFO Computer software. A total of 9500 children below the age of 15 years were selected. The prevalence of hearing impairment was found to be 13.09% while 8.15% were at risk of hearing impairment. The children from Southern [20.67%] and Western [14.68%] provinces showed significantly higher prevalence. The prevalence of hearing impairment was significantly higher in children whose parents were first cousin [16.4%] or a relative [12.42%] as compared to non related [10.38%]. High prevalence of hearing impairment in the children from Southern Provinces may be attributed to hereditary factors. The Western province does not show high consanguinity and males are less than female in these 2 provinces. Several pre, peri and post natal risk factors play an important part in pathogenesis of hearing impairment. Further investigations are warranted to identify potential risk factors associated with childhood hearing impairment in Saudi Arabia

Bacterial meningitis and hearing impairment; a prospective study

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the incidence and the pattern of post-meningitis hearing impairment. A prospective study of 68 meningitis patients was performed. The patients hearing was evaluated immediately following acute illness and periodically checked for two years. The incidences of the initial sensorineural and conductive deafness were 26.4% and 20.6%, respectively. Two patients [3%] suffered from mixed deafness. No consistent audiometric pattern was found in the cases of sensorineural hearing loss. Serial hearing evaluations demonstrated complete recovery of all cases of conductive hearing loss with only a slight improvement in the low tones noted in one patient with sensorineural hearing loss. No late development of sensorineural loss has occurred

Primary amyloidosis of the upper respiratory tract mainly involving the larynx: case report

A case of primary amyloidosis involving the larynx in a 9-year-old girl is reported. The clinico-pathological features, the difficulties encountered in diagnosis, the therapeutic measures adopted, the prognostic outlook and the literature are reviewed

Deaf children in Saudi Arabia

A study of 482 deaf children in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, showed hereditary factors to be the major cause. In a high percentage of children the cause of deafness could not be deterrmined: audiograms of these patients were found to be similar to those of the hereditary group and it is therefore postulated that the 'unknown aetiology' group has a genetic basis for deafness. Complications of postnatal diseases such as meningitis, measles and otitis media accounted for about one-fifth of deaf children in this study. They remain an important group because they are amenable to treatment and prevention. On the other hand, consanguineous marriage, which is widely practised in Saudi Arabia, carries the danger of continued propagation of hereditary deafness; it should be actively discouraged