Hearing function of children with meningitis by auditory brainstem response

Sensorineural hearing loss is one of the most important complications of meningitis, however, it can be neglected during the acute course of the disease. By early detection and medical intervention, the retardation of lingual development can be avoided.

The hearing function of 40 children with meningitis was evaluated at 24-72 hours after diagnosis (acute period) and 24 hours before discharging from hospital (recovery period) with auditory brainstem responses (ABR).

During the acute period, ABR test revealed normal hearing in 35 patients (87.5%) and severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss in 5 patients (12.5%). The same results were obtained in re-evaluation in the recovery period. There were significant differences between the female gender, positive culture of cerebrospinal fluid, the age below 2 years of old and hearing loss. (P value = 0.03, 0.02, 0.02, respectively).

ABR can be used for early detection of hearing loss during the acute and recovery period of meningitis