Cross-Sectional Study about the Profile Alterations on Otoacoustic Emissions in High-Risk Newborns of a Quaternary Hospital

The otoacoustic emissions have been the most widely used method in neonatal hearing screening programs. It is recommended that the screening should be performed prior to discharge in order to allow a greater number of newborns subjected to it. The aim of this study was to analyze the profile of patients subjected to the otoacoustic emissions test and raise hypotheses about the possible causes of hearing loss in newborns. The study was conducted at Hospital Universitário Antônio Pedro (HUAP) during the period between 2011 and 2013. It consisted of an analysis of 162 patients, 71 (43.8%) preterm infants. Regarding the tests, there were 117 (72.22%) positive and 45 (27.77%) negative tests, with a high number of failures. Failures were bilateral in 28 patients (62.22%), and the previous use of aminoglycosides was responsible for, and an important part of, the causes of failure in examination in 21 patients (46.66%). This study shows that hearing screening is an important tool for various ages, being an influence on various factors on the patient’s history. It is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform examination, which can give us important information about the causes of hearing loss and enabling efficient screening and streamlining early hearing rehabilitation of newborns.