Audiological screening of neonatal intensive care unit graduates at high risk of sensorineural hearing toss

Aim. To audit the identification and screening of graduates from a neonatal intensive care unit with risk factors for sensorineural hearing loss. Methods. Hospital medical records of newborn infants discharged from the ne onatal intensive care unit, Christchurch Womens Hospital, between 1 July 19 94 and 30 June 1995 (n=564), were examined to identify those at risk for se nsorineural hearing loss according to the American Speech-Language Hearing Association risk criteria 1991. Auditory brainstem response test results we re obtained from the Christchurch Hospital Audiology Department. Outcome me asures were: presence of hearing loss risk factors, numbers tested with aud itory brainstem response, age at test and presence and degree of hearing im pairment. Results. Of 5 215 live births in Christchurch, 564 infants were discharged through the neonatal intensive care unit. Of these, 86 had risk factors for sensorineurat hearing loss. There were 72 (84%) infants tested at audiolog y, with fifteen (17%) having abnormal test results. There were fourteen wit h risk factors who did not get audiology screening. Conclusion. A high proportion (84%) of high risk newborn infants had audito ry brainstem response testing. Further improvement would require strict imp lementation of standard procedures. Auditory brainstem response screening i s part of a wider population surveillance approach to identify hearing loss as early as possible.