Early Identification of Potential Occupational Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: A Systematic Review
International Journal of Audiology
Makaruse, N., Maslin, M. R. D., et al. (2024).
International Journal of Audiology, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/14992027.2024.2418354.
<div>This systematic review investigates sensitivity and specificity of audiometric test frequencies used for monitoring noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) of employed individuals who are exposed to hazardous occupational noise.</div>
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From database inception to May 3, 2024
<div>Original research articles from observational and experimental studies. Excludes qualitative studies, literature reviews, narrative studies, and descriptive studies (e.g., case-reports, commentaries, texts, and opinion articles).</div>
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<div>Extended high-frequency audiometry (HFA) commonly identified NIHL. HFAs also demonstrated statistically significant differences in the hearing threshold levels (HTLs) of individuals with occupational noise-exposure compared to controls (5/10 studies). Ten studies found 12, 14, and 16 kHz to be the most susceptible for identifying noise-induced hearing changes in employed individuals. These frequencies showed deterioration before conventional audiometric frequencies.</div>
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<div>For conventional frequencies, assessing HTL shifts across test frequencies at 3, 4, 6, or 8 kHz demonstrated sensitivity greater than 87%. Five studies found that 4kHz showed the most "noise sensitivity". Another study revealed that standard/significant threshold shift (STS) at 6kHz showed early signs of NIHL for military cases. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) STS criteria demonstrated low sensitivity and specificity for identifying NIHL in the early stages across ages and occupations.</div>
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<div>Limitations of this review include differing definitions of NIHL, inconsistent data reporting, and the potential omission of relevant studies. Additional research is needed to investigate occupational surveillance audiometry.</div>
