Sensorineural hearing loss complicating bacterial meningitis in sudanese children

Abstract AR

Objectives’: The aim of this study was to evaluate sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) complicating bacterial meningitis in Sudanese children.

Patients: The study included 36 children, aged 5-14 years, who survived attacks of cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) and who were admitted to Khartoum Emergency Teaching Hospital during a two-year period.

Methodology : Meningitis was diagnosed clinically and confirmed by bacteriological examination of lumber puncture aspirate by direct smear and culture.

Pure tone audiogram was carried out one week after discharge from hospital and at intervals up to the end of one year.

Results: SNHL occurred in 28 children (77.7%); in half of them, the hearing impairment was mild.The pattern of hearing impairment in 93% of the affected children was bilateral in nature, where it was symmetrical in 57.2% and asymmetrical in 35.7%.

Profound SNHL, which was also bilateral, occurred in 7% of the children.

Conclusion: Late presentation to hospital and delay in initiation of therapy for meningitis were found to be contributory factors to the development of SNHL which was mainly mild to moderate in the majority of the children affected.