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The effect of different anaesthetic agents in hearing loss following spinal anaesthesia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 August 2006

S. Gültekin
Affiliation:
Department of Anaesthesia and ENT, Ministry of Health, Ankara Hospital, 06340 Cebeci/Ankara, Turkey
N. Yilmaz
Affiliation:
Department of Anaesthesia and ENT, Ministry of Health, Ankara Hospital, 06340 Cebeci/Ankara, Turkey
A. Ceyhan
Affiliation:
Department of Anaesthesia and ENT, Ministry of Health, Ankara Hospital, 06340 Cebeci/Ankara, Turkey
I. Karamustafa
Affiliation:
Department of Anaesthesia and ENT, Ministry of Health, Ankara Hospital, 06340 Cebeci/Ankara, Turkey
R. Kiliç
Affiliation:
Department of Anaesthesia and ENT, Ministry of Health, Ankara Hospital, 06340 Cebeci/Ankara, Turkey
N. Ünal
Affiliation:
Department of Anaesthesia and ENT, Ministry of Health, Ankara Hospital, 06340 Cebeci/Ankara, Turkey
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Abstract

The cause of hearing loss after spinal anaesthesia is unknown. Up until now, the only factor studied has been the effect of the diameter of the spinal needle on post-operative sensorineural hearing loss. The aim of this study was to describe this hearing loss and to investigate other factors influencing the degree of hearing loss. Two groups of 22 similar patients were studied: one group received 6 mL prilocaine 2%; and the other received 3 mL bupivacaine 0.5%. Patients given prilocaine were more likely to develop hearing loss (10 out of 22) than those given bupivacaine (4 out of 22) (P<0.05). The average hearing loss for speech frequencies was about 10 dB after prilocaine and 15 dB after bupivacaine. None of the patients complained of subjective hearing loss. Long-term follow-up of the patients was not possible.

Type
Original Article
Copyright
1998 European Society of Anaesthesiology

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