Army instructor and fortifications guard - occupations at risk for acute noise-induced hearing loss and wearing of a hearing aid

In the Swiss army instructors and fortifications guards are exposed to fire arms' noise which harms the ear, It war investigated whether the decline in the cases of acute acoustic traumas in non-professional soldiers serving i n the army from 1987 to 1996 also was detectable in army instructors and fo rtifications guards (professional soldiers) and whether these persons were wearing hearing aids (as an indicator of hearing loss) more often than the average of the male Swiss population. First, we analyzed a historical time series of the incidence density of acute acoustic traumas in non-profession al soldiers as well as in army instructors and fortifications guards. Secon d, we compared the prevalence rate of wearing a hearing aid in army instruc tors and fortifications guards with the male Swiss population. The incidenc e density for acute acoustic traumas in army instructors and fortifications guards observed over ten years showed no significant change whereas among non-professional soldiers a strong decline (-12% per year) was observed. Th e prevalence rate of wearing a hearing aid in army instructors and fortific ations guards was significantly higher (RR 3.91 [95% CI 3.09-4.96]) than in the male Swiss population. These results suggest increased hearing impairm ent among army instructors and fortifications guards which is probably due to the high exposure to impulse noise events (occupational disease). It is recommended that these persons be subjected to a compulsory prevention prog ram.