146 HEARING LOSS DEVELOPS EARLY IN FIREFIGHTERS AND IS GREATER IN THE LEFT EAR

• Published in: Journal of investigative medicine 2005-01, Vol.53 (1), p.S103-S103
• Main Authors: Raymond, L. W., Blackwell, T. H., Barringer, T. A., Konen, J. C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1081-5589; 1708-8267
• DOI: 10.2310/6650.2005.00005.145

Firefighters (FF) are repeatedly exposed to high noise levels. For example, sirens result in 100-115 decibel (dBA) levels in cabs of fire engines responding to emergencies. Thus, FF risk developing high-frequency hearing loss. We obtained pure-tone audiograms during evaluation of 77 FF with age = 32.6 ± 6.8, BMI 26.6 ± 3.9, and 49 other first-responders (OFR, age 36.6 ± 6.0; BMI 28.0 ± 3.6). All were candidates for an anti-terrorism response team. OFR included 26 law enforcement, 13 paramedic and 10 physician members. Pre-evaluation high-frequency hearing loss (HFHL) was defined as the mean threshold shift in dB, in the most noise-sensitive frequencies (2, 3 and 4 kiloHertz). We found that even young FF (age ≤25, N=14) had a mean loss of 9.5 [± 9.6SD] dBA. HFHL was no greater in FF than OFR, perhaps because the latter were older (p≤0.001) and also exposed to sirens and other noise sources. However, when aged-matched, or corrected for presbycusis using the table of the OSHA Noise Standard, the mean HFHL of FF was greater than that of the OFR (p