The Evaluation of Hearing Loss and Audiometric Disorders in Patients with Chronic Renal Failure, Chronic Hemodialysis and Transplantation Referred to Ali Asghar Pediatric Hospital from 2002 to 2003

Hearing loss is an important complication in chronic renal failure. The etiology of hearing loss is various in these patients, but uremia is the most important cause(uremic neuropathy). Other etiologies include electrolyte disorders (hyperkalemia-hyponatremia), vascular disorders, susceptibility to infections, antibiotics (e.g. aminoglycosides) and antihypertensive drugs. Studies on the effects of renal replacement therapy on hearing disorders are various and occasionally contradictory. Most studies have demonstrated that hemodialysis reduces uremia, but it is an ineffective or even intensifying treatment for hearing loss. On the contrary, renal transplantation is more remarkable in treatment of hearing disorders especially in early phase in most assessments However, it was also seen that hearing loss rebounds in later phases (as much as previous degree or even more). Although hearing is an important sense in pediatric group, a few number of studies have been conducted on it in this group and the assessments in adults have also had various results. Therefore, it was decided to assess and compare hearing loss and its treatment in children with chronic renal failure undergoing dialysis or transplantation in order to be able to recognize the proper treatment for hearing loss in these children. 35 patients with chronic renal failure and hearing disorder who were treated by conservative hemodialysis or transplantation were assessed from 2002 to 2003 in Ali Asghar Hospital. Audiometry was performed in low, moderate and high frequency by an experienced person. The mean age was 12 years old. 20% of patients were treated by conservative therapy, 34% by hemodialysis and 46% of patients by transplantation. Hearing loss was prominent with high frequency and no significant difference was found between these groups regarding hearing disorder.