Abstract
Objetivo caracterizar e comparar a audição de funcionários de um hospital público expostos a níveis de ruído ocupacional máximos superiores e inferiores a 85dB(A). Métodos trata-se de um estudo clínico, com 39 funcionários de um hospital público, divididos de acordo com o nível de exposição ao ruído: 20 indivíduos sob exposição máxima superior a 85dB(A) (Grupo 1) e 19 indivíduos sob exposição máxima inferior a 85dB(A) (Grupo 2). Foi realizada avaliação audiológica básica e emissões otoacústicas evocadas por estímulo transiente e produto de distorção. Resultados ambos os grupos apresentaram limiares de audibilidade normais. Contudo, observou-se ausência de respostas em 87,5% no Grupo 1 e 60,5% no Grupo 2 no teste de emissões otoacústicas evocadas por estímulo transiente, com diferença estatística. O Grupo 1 mostrou menor amplitude de respostas também às emissões otoacústicas produto de distorção, sendo a frequência de 6kHz a única alterada em ambos os grupos. Conclusão os níveis de pressão sonora e o tempo de exposição não influenciam os limiares auditivos tonais. As emissões otoacústicas mostraram-se mais alteradas quanto maior o nível de pressão sonora e tempo de exposição.
Highlights
Among the several occupational risk elements, noise is, the most common physical agent and the one that causes the worst effect onto hearing in the work environment.Noise is defined as an unpleasant hearing sensation, arisen from a series of inharmonic frequencies, which stem from the most diverse sources[1].Environmental sound pollution, one of the consequences of the modern world, has currently become so ubiquitous that places free of excessive noise are very rarely found
The inclusion comprised only employees who had been exposed to occupational noise for at least 2 years and who presented a type A tympanometric, which indicates integrity of the middle ear; the ones who suffered from prior hearing deficiency with defined etiology were excluded
Concerning the studied groups, it was clear that the average work period with exposure to previous noise up to the research date was higher for Group 1, 20 years of exposure against 12,2 years of exposure of Group 2
Summary
Among the several occupational risk elements, noise is, the most common physical agent and the one that causes the worst effect onto hearing in the work environment.Noise is defined as an unpleasant hearing sensation, arisen from a series of inharmonic frequencies, which stem from the most diverse sources[1].Environmental sound pollution, one of the consequences of the modern world, has currently become so ubiquitous that places free of excessive noise are very rarely found. Even in hospitals, where the environment should be silent, levels of potentially (1) Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Source of support: Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo Conflict of Interest: non existent damaging noise are ever-present, resulting from the technological advances and from lack of guidance to the hospital teams, a situation that generates an incessant concern in the area of public health[2]. Numberless studies have indicated the extreme noise in several hospital environments, and pointed out the need for prevention, as well as, for proper guidance for the professionals, regarding those involved with the area of health, where, theoretically, the awareness for silence should be of major importance[2,3,4,5,6,7]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
