Otoacoustic emissions and persistent tinnitus after acute acoustic trauma.

Objectives: To follow up the auditory status of military personnel after an acute acoustic trauma and to identify the possible predictive value of hearing thresholds and otoacoustic emissions during the first 24 hours after the acoustic trauma.

Study Design: A group of 24 young military subjects, aged 22 +/- 2.3 years, without any otologic problem before the acoustic trauma, were examined at three time intervals after an accidental acoustic trauma caused by the discharge of a firearm: 24 hours, 72 hours, and 15 days.