Assessment of hearing in a municipal public school student population

ABSTRACT: Children need good hearing for adequate learning. Hearing screening in students is important because it allows cases that go unnoticed by the family may be detected. AIM: To evaluate hearing in children aged 4-15 years - public school students from pre-first to the fifth grade in the city of Cabedelo, Paraíba state. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective study of 98 students referred by teachers of 18 public schools in Cabedelo, from June 2007 to June 2010. Students were examined by an otolaryngologist and underwent audiometric testing. RESULTS: Eighteen schools were enrolled in this study. The student's age ranged from 4 to 15 years; 62% were male and 38% were female. Otolaryngological tests were normal in 85% of cases, and abnormal in 15% of cases. The most frequent findings were ear wax and tympanic membrane retraction. Audiometry demonstrated normal hearing in 66% of children and impaired hearing in 34%. CONCLUSION: Hearing Screening in school children is an important method for diagnosing hearing loss, especially in low-income populations.