Acute Acoustic Trauma after Exposure to Assault Rifle Noise among Conscripts in the Finnish Defence Forces-A Population-Based Survey.

Conscripts are exposed to various sources of impulse noise despite hearing protection recommendations. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of acute acoustic trauma (AAT) among conscripts after exposure to assault rifle noise in the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF). This nationwide population-based cohort comprised all conscripts (>220,000) in the FDF during the years 1997-2003 and 2008-2010.

Otologic injuries are frequent in pediatric patients with temporal bone fractures.

This retrospective study aimed to clarify the occurrence and types of otologic injuries in children and adolescents with skull fractures. Files of all patients under 18 years of age who had been diagnosed with skull fractures at a tertiary trauma centre were included. The primary outcome variable was the presence of any otologic symptom or finding.

Long-term outcome of vestibular function and hearing in children with congenital cytomegalovirus infection: a prospective cohort study.

Purpose: Congenital cytomegalovirus infection (cCMV) is the most frequent nonhereditary cause for sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in children. Data on vestibular function in children with cCMV are, however, scarce, although some evidence for cCMV-associated vestibular dysfunction exists. In this prospective cohort study, we evaluated long-term vestibular function and hearing outcomes in a cohort of children with cCMV.

Hearing outcome in congenitally CMV infected children in Finland - Results from follow-up after three years age.

Objectives: Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common congenital infection affecting about 0.6% of all newborns in developed countries. Vertical transmission to fetus can take place either after maternal primary or non-primary CMV infection during pregnancy.

Viral shedding, and distribution of cytomegalovirus glycoprotein H (UL75), glycoprotein B (UL55), and glycoprotein N (UL73) genotypes in congenital cytomegalovirus infection.

Background: Children with congenital CMV infection (cCMV) shed virus in urine and saliva for prolonged periods of time. Outcome of cCMV varies from asymptomatic infection with no sequelae in most cases, to severe longterm morbidity. The factors associated with asymptomatic cCMV are not well defined.

The Burden of Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection: A Prospective Cohort Study of 20 000 Infants in Finland.

Background: Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) infection is the most common congenital infection and causes significant morbidity. This study was undertaken to evaluate the benefits of screening newborns for cCMV and to understand the cCMV disease burden in Finland.

Methods: Infants born in Helsinki area hospitals were screened for CMV by testing their saliva with a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay.

Health-related quality of life in hearing-impaired adolescents and children.

Objective: To evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in hearing-impaired adolescents and children and to compare it with that of hearing individuals.

Study Design And Setting: Hearing-impaired adolescents and children were recruited to the study during their annual control visit to the Hearing Clinic of Helsinki University Hospital. They filled in a HRQoL questionnaire, either the 16-dimensional 16D (adolescents aged 12-17 years) or the 17-dimensional 17D (children aged 7-11 years).

Hearing and tinnitus in head and neck cancer patients after chemoradiotherapy.

Head and neck cancer patients treated with high-dose cisplatin and radiotherapy will suffer from hearing deficits. The current low-dose regimen seldom causes hearing threshold decrease. Tinnitus in this patient population has not been investigated earlier.

Health-related quality of life in adults with hearing impairment before and after hearing-aid rehabilitation in Finland.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in adults with hearing impairment in Finland before and after hearing rehabilitation.

Design: The study was prospective with hearing-aid rehabilitation as the intervention. The data was collected, using the 15D instrument, before and six months after hearing-aid rehabilitation.

Somatoform disorders in vertiginous children and adolescents.

Objective: To investigate the frequency and characteristics of psychiatric co morbidity in a group of vertiginous children.

Methods: A retrospective review of patient notes between years 2000 and 2006 in the ENT clinic of Helsinki University Hospital. Patients were identified from the clinic database, based on hospital discharge codes.

Evaluation of vertiginous children.

Our objective was to evaluate, using a structured approach method, the history and findings in vertiginous children as compared with a group of healthy children. We evaluated 24 vertiginous children (15 girls, 9 boys) with episodes of true vertigo of unknown etiology and 12 healthy age- and gender-matched controls. A detailed medical history was obtained using a structured approach technique.

Pharyngocutaneous fistula following total laryngectomy: a single institution's 10-year experience.

The etiology of postoperative pharyngocutaneous fistula (PCF) formation following major head and neck surgery is multifactorial and the incidence varies greatly. We reviewed retrospectively the records of 108 consecutive patients who underwent a total laryngectomy during the period from December 1992 to December 2002 at the Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. PCF occurred postoperatively in 19 (18%) patients.

Vertigo and imbalance in children: a retrospective study in a Helsinki University otorhinolaryngology clinic.

Objective: To determine medical characteristics of children with vertigo who visited an otorhinolaryngology (ENT) clinic during a 5-year period.

Design: A retrospective chart review carried out between 2000 and 2004.

Setting: Helsinki University Central Hospital tertiary referral center ENT clinic.

Vertigo and balance problems in children--an epidemiologic study in Finland.

Objectives: There is only scant data about the frequency and characteristics of vertigo in children. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of vertigo and balance problems in children aged between 1 and 15 years.

Method: One thousand and fifty children aged from 1 to 15 years from one child welfare unit and three schools in Helsinki University Hospital District received a questionnaire acquiring about their dizzy symptoms.

Postlaryngectomy voice restoration using a voice prosthesis: a single institution's ten-year experience.

We describe the speech rehabilitation outcome of patients treated with total laryngectomy or total laryngopharyngectomy and insertion of Provox voice prostheses (Atos Medical AB, Hörby, Sweden) at the Helsinki University Central Hospital. We performed a retrospective chart review of 95 patients (88 men and 7 women; mean age, 63.5 years) who underwent insertion of a voice prosthesis in the period 1992 to 2002.