ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Otorinolaringologia 1998 June;48(2):73-6

Copyright © 2000 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Evaluation of hearing loss in pilots

Mosca F., Naddeo F.*, Pagnano V.*

Ospedale V. Monaldi - Napoli Divisione ORL * Istituto Medico Legale G. Gradenigo - Napoli

Background. Sensorineural hearing loss is often caused by high levels of noise. This impairment is without therapy, so that subjects exposed to noise must receive care before acoustical damage, with a correct evaluation of risk factors. Italian Military Air Force pilots are exposed during aircraft flying to noise.
Methods. In this paper 150 pilots of helicopters and 150 pilots of jets were enrolled. Audiometric findings were correlated with age and total service period measured in flight hours.
Results and conclusions. No significant statistical correlations were found between the severity of hearing loss (when detected) and total service. In the helicopter pilots hearing loss was found more than in jets pilots.