Estudio normativo: umbrales auditivos de alta frecuencia (9-20 kHz) en normoyentes entre 8 años y 23 años y 11 meses, pertenecientes a la ciudad de Chillán / Normative study: high frequency hearing tresholds (9-20kHz) in normal-hearing patients in between the ages of 8 and 23 years and 11 months old, from Chillan city

RESUMEN

Introducción: Diversos estudios evidencian que la audiometría de alta frecuencia cumple un importante rol en la detección temprana de pérdida auditiva; sin embargo, en Chile aún no se dispone de una normativa para su aplicación clínica. Objetivo: Normalizar los umbrales audiométricos de alta frecuencia (9-20 kHz) en normoyentes entre 8 y 23 años y 11 meses pertenecientes a la ciudad de Chillán. Material y método: No experimental, tipo descriptivo y corte transversal. Se evaluaron a 259 sujetos normoyentes, estudiantes de enseñanza básica, media y universitaria. A la muestra se le aplicó una audiometría de alta frecuencia, empleando un audiómetro (Gradson Stadler) GSI61 con fonoauriculares (Sennheiser) HDA 200. Resultados: Los umbrales auditivos incrementaron su valor según la edad y frecuencia. No se encontraron diferencias significativas según sexo. Se observaron diferencias significativas interaural en 9, 10 y 14 kHz. Los valores de los umbrales se presentaron en percentiles, considerando como normalidad aquellos ubicados entre el P10 y P75. Conclusión: Esta norma podría ser utilizada como referencia de normalidad para pesquisar tempranamente a sujetos en riesgo de pérdida auditiva y tomar las acciones sanitarias más pertinentes a cada caso en particular, empleando equipamiento similar.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: There are several studies showing that high frequency audiometry serves the important purpose in hearing loss early detection; nonetheless, Chile does not have a standard regulation for clinical implementation of the previously mentioned exam. Aim: To standardize high frequency thresholds (9-20) in patients with normal hearing in between the ages of 8 and 23 years and 11 months old from Chillan city. Material and method: Non-experimental, descriptive and held in a transversal lapse of time. 259 normal-hearing subjects were evaluated, belonging to elementary, middle, high school and higher -university- levels of education. All subjects underwent a high-frequency audiometry for which was used a (Gradson Stadler) GSI61 audiometer, with (Sennheiser) HDA 200 headphones. Results: It was observed that high-frequency thresholds tended to increase their figures according to age and frequency requirements. No meaningful differences -regarding male or female subjects- were found, although there were note worthy differences in 9, 10 and 14 kHz frequencies. The numbers of the thresholds were presented as percentiles, considering 'normal' those located in between P10 and P75. Conclusion: This regulation can be used as a point of reference for normality in order to early detect subjects having a hearing loss risk, and to also take health-related action suitable for each particular case, by using similar equipment to the one described in this study.