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At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Noise pollution in the operating room: a hazard to surgeons, personnel, and patients.

Noise levels up to 118 dB--a level that is potentially damaging to the hearing--were measured in the operating room, notably during the use of high-speed gas turbine bone-cutting drills. Suction tips, which had trapped tissue "whistles" inside, yielded noise levels of up to 96 dB. Surgeons, staff, and patients should be cautioned against such noises and shielded in prolonged cases. We offer a review of acoustical criteria for various practical noises and duration of safe exposure.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Insert hearing protector effects.

The purposes of this investigation were two-fold: (1) to determine whether differences between measured ear canal diameter and actual earplug size affect sound pressure levels in the ear canal during exposure to high levels of noise; and (2) to determine if individuals would select the insert earplugs that conform to their measured ear canal diameter if the decision were left to them. The results indicate that: (1) very small differences between measured ear canal diameter and actual earplug size affect considerably the sound pressure levels in the ear canal during exposure to high levels of noise; (2) individuals typically select earplugs that are smaller than their measured ear canal dimensions when the decision is left to them; (3) the most skilled technician cannot always determine ear canal sizes due to limitations of available measuring instruments.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Is eye color a predictor of noise-induced hearing loss?

This study investigated the hypothesis that eye color is related to permanent threshold shift. Hearing levels and eye color determinations (gray, blue, hazel, and brown) were obtained for 100 industrial employees. Discriminant function analyses were utilized to attempt to establish linear combinations of variables that would identify group membership (i.e., eye color) correctly. Linear combinations of variables were not effective in delineating group membership. Probabililty statistics were then utilized to evaluate the probability of the determined relationships. These results indicated predictive accuracy of 69% for blue-eyed workers and 59% for brown-eyed workers.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Attenuation provided by four different audiometric earphone systems.

The attenuation provided by TDH earphones in MX-41/AR and P/N 51 cushions, Audiocup earphone enclosures and ER-3A insert earphones with ER3-14 foam earplugs was determined for 30 normally hearing subjects using a real-ear attenuation at threshold paradigm. The MX-41/AR and P/N 51 cushions provided about the same amount of attenuation which was less than the attenuation provided by the Audiocup enclosures. The ER-3A/ER3-14 provided the highest amount of attenuation. The MX-41/AR and ER-3A/ER3-14 attenuation values were in agreement with other studies using similar methodology. However, the attenuation provided by the Audiocup enclosures was considerably less, in the lower frequencies, than reported in two other studies. ANSI S3.1-1977 supra-aural earphone cushion attenuation values, which were determined using pure-tones presented in a free-field, should be replaced by earphone cushion attenuation values determined with 1/3 octave bands of noise presented in a diffuse sound field.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Hearing conservation programs in Massachusetts' vocational/technical schools.

A survey of vocational/technical schools in Massachusetts was performed to evaluate the prevalence of and need for hearing conservation programs. The surveys were sent to the superintendents or principals of all 27 regional schools in Massachusetts. Surveys consisted of questions in the areas of shop noise exposure, use of safety equipment, and hearing conservation education. Results indicate that (1) many teachers and students may be exposed to hazardous noise levels (2) hearing protection is not required in one-third of the schools and is used less frequently than other safety equipment, and (3) teachers desire additional training in hearing conservation and would welcome the assistance of an audiologist. These results point out the need for obtaining measurements of noise levels in the school shops, designing hearing conservation programs for school settings, implementing mandatory use of hearing protection, and providing education in hearing conservation for students and teachers.

Ear Protective Devices↗
PubMed1995

Effects of noise exposure, race, and years of service on hearing in U.S. Army soldiers.

Over the last two decades the U.S. Army has instituted a comprehensive hearing conservation program (HCP) to reduce the prevalence of hearing loss in soldiers and civilian employees. As a component of this program, hearing threshold levels (HTLs) are stored in a central computerized Army-wide hearing conservation data registry. The aim of this study was to analyze the hearing threshold data to compare the hearing loss among soldiers representing different (1) race groups, (2) noise exposure groups, and (3) duration of military service. HTLs were age-corrected using data base B values from ISO 1999 (1990). As may be expected, soldiers exposed to high noise levels had significantly poorer hearing than the group of soldiers with limited noise exposure. On the average, results indicated a significant difference in HTLs among the race groups with black soldiers having the most sensitive hearing and white soldiers having the poorest. Also, subjects with greater durations of military service had the least sensitive hearing. Finally, race and years of service factors were found to interact in their effect on HTL. The findings are discussed in terms of implications of race differences, normative data, and effectiveness of the U.S. Army HCP.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Acoustic echoplanar scanner noise and pure tone hearing thresholds: the effects of sequence repetition times and acoustic noise rates.

PURPOSE: Our goal was to determine the effects of acoustic echoplanar scanner noise on pure tone hearing thresholds in normal volunteers and to determine the influence of echoplanar sequence repetition time on threshold effects. METHOD: With use of a calibrated audiometer, pure tones ranging from 125 to 8,000 Hz were delivered monaurally to 10 normal-hearing volunteers in a quiet MR scanner suite and in the presence of acoustic scanner noise produced by three separate single shot blipped echoplanar pulse sequences varying only in repetition time (TR = 1,000, 2,000, or 3,000 ms), with all other parameters including the number of slices held constant. The magnitude of noise-induced threshold changes and the slopes of the threshold curves produced by each of the three echoplanar pulse sequences were then analyzed using multiple comparisons and a least significant difference method. The shapes of the threshold curves produced in each background state were best fit using a quadratic effect for frequency in a mixed effects linear model and compared using F test statistics. RESULTS: All of the volunteers demonstrated entirely normal hearing thresholds throughout the full range of tonal frequencies tested (< 25 dB) when no acoustic scanner noise was present in the scanner suite. Pure tone hearing thresholds significantly increased (p < 0.01) in the presence of acoustic scanner noise, with the magnitude of change inversely proportional to the repetition time and therefore the rate of periodic noise production by the echoplanar sequence used. The shape of the threshold curve in the presence of noise produced by the 1,000 ms TR sequence was not equivalent across the frequency spectrum tested but had a quadratic distribution with peak effects at 750-2,000 Hz. As the repetition time was increased and the periodic noise rate decreased, the magnitude of the noise-induced threshold changes significantly lessened (p < 0.01) and the quadratic distributions of the threshold curves changed significantly (p < 0.01), tending toward a more planar configuration. CONCLUSION: Background acoustic echoplanar scanner noise can significantly increase pure tone thresholds in the optimal frequency hearing range (125-8,000 Hz). However, the threshold effects are not equivalent across the frequency spectrum, and the magnitude of threshold changes is dependent on the rate at which periodic acoustic scanner noises are produced for a given sequence repetition time.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMed1983

The performance of circumaural hearing protectors by dosimetry.

The performance of earmuffs in the actual working environment was studied with two modified dosimeters. It was found that personal hearing protection, at least with earmuffs, is a potentially adequate method of protection against noise-induced hearing loss in most industrial working situations. Most of the problems involving the use of hearing protectors in a hearing conservation program can be overcome by education and proper fitting.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Occupational noise exposure and hearing loss characteristics of a blue-collar population.

Recent studies of health effects from chronic exposure to noise in the workplace have not consistently addressed nonoccupational variables. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 197 randomly selected male hourly workers from a noisy plant (greater than or equal to 89 dBA) in Pittsburgh to fully assess noise exposure and hearing loss, incorporating information on duration of exposure, noise level, occupational and medical histories, audiometric evaluation, and external noise sources. Population audiometric profiles are characteristic of noise-induced hearing loss; mean hearing thresholds for press room men were significantly higher at 2, 3, and 6 kHz (p less than or equal to .05). Only 40% of the men consistently wore hearing protection. Recent use of ototoxic drugs, noisy hobbies/second jobs, military service, family history of hearing loss, and ear-related problems were not found to have a significant effect on hearing levels at high frequencies, suggesting that observed hearing losses were of an occupational origin.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Using audiometric data base analysis.

Audiometric data base analysis (ADBA) offers the most direct means of judging the effectiveness of a hearing conservation program (HCP) in preventing occupational hearing loss. However, numerous factors need to be accounted for if the findings are to be meaningful. This paper discusses several parameters known to influence the interpretation of group data statistics in assessing HCP effectiveness. Testing factors that affect the stability of the data base include audiometric techniques, calibration procedures, testing environment, and the motivation and prior experience of the subject. Pertinent population parameters include age, sex, race, current and prior noise exposures, learning effects, and the types of hearing protectors in use. Two case histories are presented to illustrate the application of ADBA techniques. Specific analysis procedures reviewed include comparisons of mean thresholds for selected industrial and nonindustrial populations, rates of change in mean hearing levels over a period of time, baseline and sequential test-retest comparisons, and different threshold shift criteria. The preliminary results of ADBA research being done by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) S12.12 Working Group are summarized, including desirable criterion ranges for several statistics established by applying them to control data sets.

Audiometry↗
PubMed1991

Industrial noise exposure and ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate.

Studies on the effects of long-term exposure to industrial noise on resting blood pressure have yielded inconsistent results. Ambulatory blood pressure and heart rate were monitored simultaneously with noise exposure in normotensive male industrial workers in Israel (85 aged 25 to 44 and 77 aged 45 to 65 years). In the younger group, average ambulatory systolic blood pressure was 3.2 mm Hg higher and diastolic blood pressure 2.3 mm Hg higher in subjects exposed to more than 85 dBa (P less than .001), after adjusting for potential confounding variables. In those aged 45 to 65, ambulatory systolic blood pressure was 3.3 mm Hg lower and diastolic blood pressure unchanged in noise-exposed subjects. Ambulatory heart rate was 2.7 and 2.6 beats per minute higher at the higher noise level (P = .002) in the respective age groups. These findings suggest that industrial noise exposure is associated with higher ambulatory blood pressure and heart rates in men under 45 years old, but the effect on blood pressure appears to diminish considerably with age.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Assessment of the proposed Draft American National Standard method for evaluating the effectiveness of hearing conservation programs.

Using audiometric data, this study assessed the Draft American National Standard ANSI S12.13-1991 (DANS) method for evaluating the effectiveness of hearing conservation programs by comparing it against a standard epidemiologic method. Although the hearing conservation program of the study population was rated as "acceptable" (scale: acceptable, marginal, unacceptable) using the DANS method, the epidemiologic method found a 130% increased risk of hearing loss (relative risk = 2.3, 95% confidence interval = 0.8 to 6.5). In addition, study workers who were excluded from analyses for failing to comply with the DANS criteria were found to be at significantly increased risk of hearing loss (relative risk = 9.1, 95% confidence interval = 3.4 to 24.2). These data indicate that the DANS method may overestimate the effectiveness of hearing conservation programs and systematically exclude workers at high risk of hearing loss from analyses.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Occupational noise-induced hearing loss surveillance in Michigan.

Occupational noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is an important yet often overlooked illness that can affect an individual's safety and performance at work. This article describes a state-based surveillance system for occupational NIHL. The Michigan surveillance system enables us to describe the magnitude of occupational NIHL among Michigan workers and direct public health interventions in the form of enforcement workplace inspections. The data presented are based on interviews of individuals with occupational NIHL reported to the Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services (MDCIS) by Michigan's audiologists and otolaryngologists from 1992-1997. From 1992-1997, 1378 individuals with occupational NIHL were reported to the MDCIS and interviewed about their exposures to noise at work. Over 70% of the workplace noise exposure were in manufacturing. At the most recent company where these individuals were exposed to noise, approximately 46% were not provided regular hearing testing. Regular hearing testing was more likely to occur in the larger companies and in industries covered by regulations requiring such testing to be performed. There were improvements over time in the percentages of companies providing regular hearing testing and hearing protection. Construction workers are employees among a group of industries that are not adequately protected from excessive noise exposures by occupational regulations. Regular hearing testing was not provided for over 90% of construction jobs, although hearing protection such as earplugs or earmuffs was provided for approximately half of these jobs. Forty-three state enforcement inspections were conducted at the companies reported by the patients interviewed, because these companies were reported to provide no regular hearing testing or no hearing protection despite exposures to excessive levels of noise. During the 43 inspections, 23 companies had noise levels above dBA, and 17 of those had either no hearing conservation program (HCP) or had one that was cited as being incomplete. The inspections potentially protected 758 similarly exposed workers in the companies with the high noise levels that lacked an HCP or that had a deficient HCP. The number of patients with occupational NIHL is likely a gross underestimate of the true magnitude of the disease. However, the surveillance system has identified workplaces with hazardous levels of noise and no HCP, thereby protecting similarly exposed coworkers of the index patients from further exposures to noise and hearing loss.

Ear Protective Devices↗