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Hearing loss in post-meningitis patients in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital


J Opoku-Buabeng
GW Brobby

Abstract

Meningitis is one of the infective disorders which can complicate with hearing loss. This study evaluates the incidence of hearing loss in patients who had suffered from a bacterial meningitis infection. The aim of this study was to find out the incidence rate of hearing loss in patients after
recovering from meningitis. Some patients who were admitted, diagnosed and managed as cases of bacterial meningitis from the medical and the children’s wards of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital were recruited to participate in this study after they had been discharged. These
patients underwent a hearing assessment using a pure tone audiometer. These patients who survived meningitis were aged between (8-62) years with a mean age of 32.1 years. Of the 58 patients evaluated 12 (20.7%) presented with a sensorineural hearing loss. 6.9% of the patients presented with a mild hearing loss, 8.7% with a moderate hearing loss, 1.7% with a severe hearing loss whereas the remaining 3.4% presented with a profound hearing loss. This study showed that patients who suffered from meningitis infection may develop hearing loss.

Keywords: Meningitis, Sensorineural hearing loss, Epilepsy, Hydrocephalus, Cognitive defect


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eISSN: 3057-3629
print ISSN: 0855-0395