Barriers to auditory brainstem response testing under anesthesia.

Objective: Auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing is the gold standard for diagnosis of hearing loss in children who cannot complete behavioral audiometry. Testing under general anesthesia is often recommended when natural sleep ABR and/or behavioral audiometry are unsuccessful. This study aims to determine which demographic and patient factors serve as barriers to receiving this diagnostic testing.

Socioeconomic Disparities and Other Factors Affecting Time to Dispensing of Pediatric Hearing Aids.

Introduction: Pediatric hearing loss can significantly impact speech, language, social, and educational development. Providing access to speech and environmental sounds using amplification devices, such as hearing aids, can help improve developmental outcomes. However, timely rehabilitation and intervention may be delayed due to limited access to resources, further prolonging the adverse effects of childhood hearing loss.

Evaluation of Noise Exposure Levels in Pediatric ENT Operating Rooms.

Objective: Operating room (OR) sounds may surpass noise exposure thresholds and induce hearing loss. Noise intensity emitted by various surgical instruments during common pediatric otolaryngologic procedures were compared at the ear-level of the surgeon and patient to evaluate the need for quality improvement measures.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Confirmatory Auditory Brainstem Responses Testing Results in Discordant Outcomes: Implications for Timely Care.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate for discrepancies in diagnostic auditory brainstem responses (ABR) between Children's National Hospital (CNH), a pediatric medical center, and outside facilities (OSF) that referred patients to CNH for confirmatory evaluation. Such discrepancies impact early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) timelines.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted from an internal database of patients who underwent diagnostic ABR from 2017 to 2021.

2021 U.S. Virgin Islands Zika health brigade: Providing recommended pediatric health screenings for children born to mothers with laboratory evidence of possible Zika virus infection during pregnancy.

Background: The United States Virgin Islands (USVI) Department of Health (DOH) conducted a second Zika health brigade (ZHB) in 2021 to provide recommended Zika-related pediatric health screenings, including vision, hearing, neurologic, and developmental screenings, for children in the USVI. This was replicated after the success of the first ZHB in 2018, which provided recommended Zika-related pediatric health screenings to 88 infants and children exposed to Zika virus (ZIKV) during pregnancy.

Methods: Ten specialty pediatric care providers were recruited and traveled to the USVI to conduct the screenings.

Underinsurance in children is associated with worsened quality of life after cochlear implantation.

Importance: Research has suggested that early cochlear implantation is associated with improved language outcomes. Select studies demonstrate that this translates into a higher quality of life following implantation. Previous work from our group has shown that underinsurance represents a risk factor for worsened auditory and language outcomes for implantees.

Complexities of Zika Diagnosis and Evaluation in a U.S. Congenital Zika Program.

The objective of the study was to describe the complexity of diagnosis and evaluation of Zika-exposed pregnant women/fetuses and infants in a U.S. Congenital Zika Program.

Patient Safety in Audiology.

There is a need to educate audiologists, physicians, and other clinicians about patient safety in audiology. This article addresses the many aspects of patient safety and the applicability to the practice of audiology in health care. Clinical examples of strategies to build a culture of patient safety are provided.