ABSTRACT Background: Tuberculosis therapy is characterized by many side effects including hearing loss. It has been documented that the use of aminoglycosides for TB treatment is the cause of the associated hearing impairment. The consequential effect of hearing impairment on the patient is high. This has its long-term socio-economic effect (social isolation and stigmatization) on patients, families and public health in general. Hearing loss can compromise treatment compliance and also affec...
ABSTRACT Background: Worldwide the hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is considered a major public health concern, infecting about two billion people. Annually, the disease accounts for about one million deaths. The prevalence of the disease is considered high in Africa, affecting about 8% of the population in West Africa and between 5 to 7% in Southern, Eastern, and Central Africa. Ghana has a high prevalence rate of 12.3% with most infected persons seeking medical attention at the terminal s...
ABSTRACT Background: Employees of night clubs are at a greater risk for developing hearing loss because they could be exposed to dangerously high noise levels. Elevated noise levels may lead to adverse effects including elevated blood pressure and sleep interference. Communication in the workplace may also be affected, contributing to the occurrence of accidents. The most serious side effect of noise however is irreversible hearing impairment, and this occurs as a result of damage to the del...
ABSTRACT Background: Auditory Brainstem Response are series of scalp recorded electrical potentials of neural activity generated within the auditory nerve, nuclei and tracts of the lower brainstem during the first 10 ms after a click or tone pip stimulus presentation. Aim: To develop normative data for the Intelligent Hearing Systems Smart EP systems (IHS) at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital’s Hearing Assessment Center (KBTHHAC). Objective: The study was to discover the relationship between t...
ABSTRACT Background: Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) is one of the commonest blood and genetic disorders in the world. It results when abnormal haemoglobin (Hb S, Hb C, Hb β-thalassemia) is found either in the homozygous or heterozygote state. Sickle cell disease causes painful vascular occlusion crisis, anoxia and ischaemia which sometimes lead to tissue or organ damage including the auditory system especially the blood rich cochlear. Damage to the auditory system eventually causes hearing loss....
ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Hearing loss makes a large contribution to the global burden of disease, which substantially adversely affect social and economic development in communities and countries. Due to this, WHO therefore promotes surveys and gathers data for measuring the burden of deafness and hearing impairment. At KBTH, data on the prevalence of hearing impairment is lacking. There is therefore the need for accurate prevalence studies to be carried out in Ghana to enable health organization...
ABSTRACT Background: Classroom acoustics is essential aspect of the learning environment. A poor acoustical environment can impede a child’s ability to listen and learn. Excessive reverberation and background noise can affect the educational performance and achievement of children with hearing loss and normal hearing. It can also lead to teacher fatigue, stress and increase their chances of acquiring voice and throat problems since they have to raise their voices to be heard by the child...
ABSTRACT Background: Hearing Sensitivity is the commonest form of hearing. Occupational hearing loss has received little or no attention in most industries and has left many employees with hearing loss of varying degrees after retirement. The navy has not been spared in this area as some of its personnel exposed to varying levels of noise. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of hearing loss and to investigate the risk factors associated with hearing loss among naval personn...
ABSTRACT Background: Hearing loss is the most frequent hearing deficit in both adult and pediatric populations, affecting more than 250 million people in the world. The consequences of hearing impairment are diverse and include severe impairment, often resulting in a reduced ability to communicate, delay in language acquisition, economic and educational disadvantage, social isolation and stigmatization. However, these consequences can be reduced by early detection together with appropriate au...
ABSTRACT Background: Technological progress in the construction of personal computers, has offered the possibility of conducting hearing tests with a computer program. Computerized audiometers can be designed for manual, automatic and self-administered hearing testing. Aim: The study investigated the validity of the ACEScreening device as a self-administered hearing screening test and the KUDUWave5000 audiometer as an automated diagnostic audiometer. Methods: The population for this study con...
ABSTRACT Background: Undetected hearing loss in neonates and children compromises optimal speech and language development and personal achievement. Auditory brainstem response (ABR) test consists of eliciting and recording waveforms generated within the auditory nerve region to the brainstem. These waveforms are compared with normative data to determine normal and abnormal responses. The use of ABR in identifying, and managing infants with congenital hearing impairment is crucial to their aca...