Noise-induced Hearing Loss among Non-Medical Workers in a Healthcare Institution
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Introduction: The effects of prolonged and excessive noise exposure on healthcare workers have not been studied. This
study aims to estimate the prevalence of hearing loss among such workers and correlate the degree of hearing loss with age,
duration of exposure, and coexisting illnesses. Methods: A retrospective review of 117 clinical records was conducted on
179 employees working in areas of excessive noise in a tertiary care hospital. Correlations between categorical variables
were made using the Chi-square and Fisher's exact tests, while an independent samples t-test was used to compare means
for continuous variables. Binary logistic regression was used to quantify the strength of correlations through an odds
ratio and 95% confidence interval. Results: A clinical evaluation was conducted to assess hearing loss on employees
from various departments, including Boiler Section, Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD), Laundry, Prosthetics
and Orthotics Laboratory, and Dietary. The median age of the participants was 37 years. Out of the 116 participants who
underwent by audiological tests, 63.8% had sensorineural hearing loss and 68.5% had absent otoacoustic emissions in at
least one frequency. The incidence of hearing loss was found to increase with age (p = 0.037). A significant correlation
was noted between hearing loss and the duration of noise exposure of more than 10 years (p = 0.0013). Considering all
areas together, a significantly higher proportion of employees with hearing loss was observer (p = 0.044), with 69.5% in
the CSSD. Conclusion: Noise-induced hearing loss is a prevalent occupational health hazard in healthcare settings. The
risk of developing hearing loss increases with the duration of work in a noise-generating area.
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