#BAROTRAUMA EAR FROM A BLAST PROFESSIONAL#

The distance between the victims and explosion was roughly estimated by the patients themselves.ĭelay to injury assessment and specialized exams ranged from few hours to more than three months. More than half (64%) of the patients were less than 10 meters from the center of the explosion and 30% were within five meters. At the time, 35% of the patients were wearing their protective helmets. It was an explosion of a traditionally made device in an open space in 50 cases and in an enclosed space (by an explosive belt in a bus) in 10 cases. The accident occurred as part of terrorist attacks in all cases. on average and one had isolated tinnitus treated medically. All patients were already exposed to extreme noises due to their professions and nine reported pre-existing hearing loss and/or tinnitus, but we had a basic audiometric assessment for only five of them, four of which had a 40 dB perception deafness. They were all male with an average age of 25 years (20-42 years old). Sixty patients were included in our study. We noted the accident’s data (location, type of explosives) and patient’s data (age, sex, distance between the victim and the center of the explosion, the initial functional signs, therapeutic delay, the initial clinical examination, the results of audiometric explorations, extra-ENT injuries, treatment protocol, and the evolution of symptoms during a year).

Were excluded from our study, patients treated outside our structure, Fluid blasts and patients with missing data and / or having a post-treatment monitoring less than 12 months. We conducted a longitudinal retrospective study including armed forces patients, hospitalized at the ENT unit of the Military Hospital of Tunis for the management of an ear primary blast injury. The aim of this study is to describe the different aspects of auricular blast injuries &as well as the post-therapeutic evolution in the medium and long term. Auditory restoration requires early management, but the prognosis remains multifactorial. However, this entity remains unclear, partially explaining the treatment delay.Ĭonfirmation of the damage requires specialized clinical examination and audiometric investigations. In Tunisia, the incidence of these accidents increased considerably. Initial symptomatology can involve in various degrees, deafness, earache, tinnitus and vertigo. However, ear injuries are the most frequent because of a very low damage threshold (50% of the eardrums are perforated at 50 kPa) and may interest either the middle or the inner ear. Organs with enclosed gas such as the middle ear, lungs and the digestive tract are the preferred targets of the primary blast and the severity of injuries is mainly due to the sudden variation of the pressure inside theses organs. Key wordsĮar blast, explosion, therapeutic results Introductionīlast injury is a pathological process that induces injuries in an organism exposed to a shock wave during an explosion.Īccording to the mechanism of injury, there are four types of blast injuries: primary cause by the wave itself, secondary caused by flying debris, tertiary caused by projection of the victim and quaternary (burns, inhalation of carbon monoxyde. Because of possibility of secondary aggravation, extended follow -up is largely justified.

#BAROTRAUMA EAR FROM A BLAST PROFESSIONAL#

Evolution, however, was multifactorial.Ĭonclusion: Blast injury is responsible of cochlear injuries who are often final and a major source of persistent morbidity affecting the professional life of the victims. Only 37.5% of patients reported a decrease in tinnitus. At 12 months follow-up, hearing gain average was 20 dB and eight with perceptual hearing aggravated their hearing loss by 15 to 20 dB. Treatment was based on corticosteroid therapy with or without hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Thirty nine percent (39%) of patients had moderate hearing loss and tinnitus was present in 80% of patients. Results: Sixty patients were included in the study with an average age of 25 years. A minimal follow-up of 12 months was required. All patients underwent a clinical evaluation and an audiometric exploration before and after treatment.

Methods: We have included patients treated for ear blast injury secondary to terrorist acts at the ENT department of the Military Hospital of Tunis between 20.

A delayed treatment, usually by lack of knowledge and / or association of injuries considered to be more serious, can worsen the auditory prognosis. Background: Otological accidents resulting from mine explosions are polymorphous, mainly affecting deployed military personnel in our country.

Barotrauma ear from a blast