Declining prevalence of pediatric sudden deafness during the past two decades.

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Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2019 Jan 22;119:118-122. doi: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2019.01.029. [Epub ahead of print]

Declining prevalence of pediatric sudden deafness during the past two decades.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

This study compared the prevalence of sudden deafness (SD) in children to investigate the evolution of pediatric SD during the past two decades.

METHODS:

From 1996 to 2005 totaling 358 SD patients were experienced. Of them 25 patients (7%) aged <15 years were assigned to Group A. In contrast 5 patients (2%) aged <15 years of 242 SD patients encountered during the period 2006-2015 were assigned to Group B. All patients underwent audiovestibular function testing.

RESULTS:

The measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination reached to 95% vaccination rate in Taiwan after 1994. As 1994 (MMR vaccination years) + 11 (mean age of pediatric SD) equals 2005 this study found that declining prevalence of pediatric SD was from 7% (1996-2005) to 2% (2006-2015) at our hospital consistent with declining annual cases of SD in Taiwan during the past decades. A significantly higher abnormality rate of mean hearing level (93%) than abnormal caloric responses (20%) was identified indicating that pediatric SD predominately affected the cochlear partition.

CONCLUSION:

The prevalence of pediatric SD cases has significantly declined during the past 20 years probably due to global vaccination policy. Other causal factors such as growing numbers of hospital and advancement in radiological diagnostic technique may also contribute to the declining prevalence.

KEYWORDS:

Children; Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR); Seroconversion; Sudden deafness; Vaccination policy

PMID: 30703660 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijporl.2019.01.029