HEARING SCREENING RESPONSE IN NEONATES OF THE KANGAROO PROJECT USING OTOTOXIC MEDICINES

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the hearing screening response in newborns who participated in Kangaroo Mother Project and used ototoxic drugs. Material and methods: This is a cross-sectional, quantitative study including a sample of 66 newborns who made use of at least one ototoxic drug (gentamicin, vancomycin, and furosemide) participating of the Kangaroo project at the Candida Vargas Hospital in João Pessoa, PB, Brazil, from November 2012 to March 2013. Quantitative variables were expressed as mean and standard deviation, and qualitative variables were expressed as absolute and relative frequencies. The correlation between the results of the OAE test and other variables was performed using the chi-square test and calculated by SPSS software version 21.0, with a significance level (p) of 5%. Results: Of the 66 patients included in the study, 45 (68.2%) had used ototoxic drugs and 21 (31.8%) had not. Gentamicin was used for 43 neonates, furosemide by 8 and vancomycin by 6. Among the patients who made use of ototoxic medication, 95.2% had normal OAE test and 2 had absent response (4.8%) (p = 0.4). Conclusion: Positive and negative results in the hearing screening were found both in newborns who used or did not use ototoxic drugs. The isolated use of drug by newborns with absent response in the OAE test was not significant. DESCRIPTORS Infant, Newborn. Kangaroo-Mother Care Method. Neonatal Screening . Gentamicins.