ABSTRACT
Since the 90s there increasing interest in early detection of neonatal hearing loss due to the feasibility of universal neonatal screening as well as to the possibility of early intervention. This has led to set up neonatal screening programs based upon otoacoustic emissions and to a great increase in the number of publications in the field. Our hospital started a neonatal hearing loss screening program using otoacoustic emission in March 2000. We used a Capella Cochlear Emissions (MADSEN electronics) equipment. Until May 2003 we have performed the test in 6372 children with a median age of 71 days. In our study, the sensibility of the test was 90.9% and the specificity 99.7%. Our results are similar to those reported in the literature although the age of the children was higher and we have found an incidence of hearing loss lower than other studies.
Subject(s)
Hearing Loss/diagnosis , Hearing Loss/epidemiology , Neonatal Screening/methods , Female , Humans , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous/physiologyABSTRACT
Alpha 1 acid glycoprotein, alpha 1 antitrypsin, haptoglobin, alpha 2 HS glycoprotein and prealbumin were studied in 44 patients with cancer of the head and neck and in a control group. The three primary glycoproteins were considerably elevated in the patients, particularly in stage IV. In the group of patients who died before 30 months after treatment the haptoglobin was significantly elevated compared to those who survived beyond this point. Only values for the alpha 1 acid glycoprotein greater than 150 mg/dl were a prognostic factor of similar precision to that of stage IV. This correlation could not be shown for the other glycoproteins.
