DATABASE FOR SENSORINEURAL HEARING-LOSS

We are creating a bank of EBV immortalized lymphoblast cells and extra cted DNA taken from the blood of deaf children and their relatives, in order to study the molecular basis of hereditary deafness. We have es tablished a corresponding database for sensorineural hearing loss that records clinical data for each entered specimen. The purpose of this paper is to present the content and design of the computerized relatio nal database. The data model is designed first to identify known etiol ogies of deafness, either acquired or syndromic, and then to character ize the clinical features of the deaf individual, and both their affec ted and non-affected family members. The application operates in a gra phical environment of visual prompts and message panels. The database is organized by sections which record demographic data, presenting com plaints, otologic history, birth and perinatal history, developmental history, symptoms of chronic airway obstruction, family history, neuro logic history, congenital infections, hospitalizations and surgical hi story, medication history, vestibular findings, audiometry, radiology, medical conditions and syndromes and physical examination. The databa se was developed on a commercially available software product. Our dat abase is presented as a model for use by other clinicians and investig ators.