Taxini CL, Guida HL. Firefighters' noise exposure: A literature review.
Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2013;
17:80-4. [PMID:
25991998 PMCID:
PMC4423242 DOI:
10.7162/s1809-97772013000100014]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2012] [Accepted: 11/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/02/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM
To review the literature about the effects of environmental noise on the hearing ability of firefighters.
METHOD
The PubMed and Scielo databases were searched and studies from 2002 to 2012 that included the keywords firefighters, noise, and hearing loss were identified. Initially, 24 studies were selected, but only 10 met the inclusion criteria of investigating the effects of occupational noise on firefighters.
RESULTS
Only 2 (20%) studies quantified levels of sound pressure and performed audiological tests to identify associations with noise intensity and 3 (30%) questionnaire-based studies reported that these professionals are more susceptible to hearing loss. Four (50%) studies found that noise exposure damages the auditory system in this population.
DISCUSSION
These findings indicate that there is a necessity for preventive measures to be adopted by this population since it is considered to be at risk.
CONCLUSION
In recent years, there have been few studies of firefighters' exposure to occupational noise, but our findings show the importance of new studies that include proper means of quantifying their exposure to noise in different work environments, in order to identify possible adverse conditions as well as to aid in the diagnosis of hearing loss.
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