Otoacoustic emissions in children treated with gentamicin in a secondary hospital

• Published in: Acta otorrinolaringológica española (English) Vol. 69; no. 5; pp. 291 - 296
• Main Authors: Sequi Canet, Jose Miguel, Angelats Romero, Carlos Miguel, Sequi Sabater, Jose Miguel, Miralles Torres, Ana, Boronat Garcia, Miguel, Gomez Delgado, Marta
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Spain 01.09.2018
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Female; Gentamicins - pharmacology; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Male; Otoacoustic Emissions, Spontaneous - drug effects; Prospective Studies; Secondary Care Centers; Sordera; Gentamicin; Otoemisiones acústicas; Ototoxicidad; Gentamicina; Otoacoustic emissions; Hearing loss; Ototoxicity
• ISSN: 2173-5735; 2173-5735
• DOI: 10.1016/j.otoeng.2017.09.004

The National Commission for the Early Detection of Hearing Loss (CODEPEH) recommends the re-evaluation of hearing in children who have suffered any potentially harmful event, such as the prescription of ototoxic antibiotics such as gentamicin. The evoked otoacoustic emissions (EOAE) are a good method for assessing the integrity of cochlear functionality. A prospective study is presented, including 92 children who were treated with intravenous gentamicin for septic risk/sepsis or urinary tract infection. The children underwent serial EOAE: on admission, at the end of treatment and one month later (if altered on discharge). In the end, none of the subjects were affected by the treatment. Gentamicin appears to be a safe antibiotic in treatments lasting <10days and at the doses described. EOAE are an inexpensive, fast, non-invasive and reliable method to check for gentamicin ototoxicity. This could save in the determination of drug levels.