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Cochlear implant after bacterial meningitis
Author(s) -
Bille Jesper,
Ovesen Therese
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
pediatrics international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.49
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1442-200X
pISSN - 1328-8067
DOI - 10.1111/ped.12252
Subject(s) - medicine , meningitis , cochlear implant , cochlear implantation , retrospective cohort study , bacterial meningitis , referral , sensorineural hearing loss , hearing loss , pediatrics , rehabilitation , audiology , surgery , physical therapy , family medicine
Background The aim of this retrospective case study at a tertiary referral center was to investigate the outcome of cochlear implantation ( CI ) in children with sensorineural hearing loss due to meningitis compared to CI in children with deafness due to other reasons. Methods This post‐meningial group ( PMG ) consisted of 22 children undergoing CI due to deafness induced by meningitis, between D ecember 1996 and J anuary 2012. Five children had bilateral simultaneous implantation. None was excluded and the children were followed for at least 3 years. Operations were carried out by one of two surgeons using similar techniques in all cases. Each patient from the PMG was matched 2:1 with children having implantation for other reasons according to age and follow up (control group). Results Overall, the median category of auditory performance ( CAP ) and speech intelligibility rating ( SIR ) score were not statistically significantly different between the two groups. The presence of additional central nervous system ( CNS ) disorders (post‐meningeal sequelae), however, correlated significantly with poorer outcome Conclusions CI was a safe procedure without surgical complications in the present study. It is possible to restore auditory capacity and speech performance to a degree comparable to children undergoing implantation for other reasons. A statistically important variable is secondary CNS involvement. The rehabilitation program after CI should be adjusted according to these additional handicaps. It is recommended to screen meningitis patients as fast as possible to identify those with hearing loss and initiate treatment with hearing aids or CI .