(0223) Hearing Loss and Vestibular Disorder Effect in a Humanitarian Context

Introduction: Patients with acquired hearing loss and vestibular disorders can have decreased communication with their surroundings leading to a poor quality of life. In Colombia, due to the humanitarian conflict that has afflicted the country, there is a subgroup of the population affected by blast injuries. Blast injuries are known to cause hearing loss and vertigo in the long term. As a result, there is a large vulnerable population at risk for morbidity, with limited access to hearing and vestibular screening tests and treatment.

Methods: The aim of this study is to perform hearing and vertigo screening tests in a rural area that have been affected by blast injuries to the ear during humanitarian conflict. A prospective cohort study was conducted using a mixed method convergent parallel design. The prevalence of hearing loss and vestibular disorders was defined using mobile audiometry and vestibular head impulse test (vHIT) tests. Standardized questionnaires were used to evaluate quality of life and comorbidities related to hearing loss.

Results: The prevalence of hearing loss in a region previously affected by the armed conflict was 33/79 (41%) compared to the general prevalence of hearing loss in Colombia of 17%. Most presented with moderate hearing loss (51%), followed by mild (42%), severe (3%), and profound (3%) hearing loss. The prevalence of vestibular disorders was 30/79 (37.97%) compared to the general prevalence of vestibular disorders of 20-30%. The prevalence of tinnitus was 10/79 (12%) with a mean THI of 42/100 (moderate effect in QoL). Patients who experienced vertigo after acute trauma ( < 12 months) presented with vHIT showing lower gains in the posterior semicircular canals ( < 0.05) and higher gains in the lateral and anterior semicircular canals ( < 0.05).

Conclusions: This study provides evidence for the burden of hearing loss and vestibular disorders after blast injuries in regions affected by humanitarian conflict while using reliable and high-quality screening tests in a low-resource setting. Further analysis will be conducted to establish access to hearing care and follow-up after treatment.