Otological manifestation due to blast injury

Abstract

Background: The ear is the most frequent organ affected during an explosion. Recognition of possible damage to it’s auditory and vestibular components, and particularly the recovery time of the incurred damage, may help in planning the optimal treatment strategies for the otological manifestation of blast injury and preventing deleterious consequences.
Objective : to evaluate the otological manifestation of blast injury in relation to the distance of explosions, the site of the exposure, space of explosions and to the age of patients and to report the oto-vestibular initial symptoms and follow up .
Patients  and  Method  : Forty  two  patients  collected  from  AL  amam  Ali hospital  in  Baghdad  and  underwent  complete  physical,  ENT  examination ,balance study and pure tone audiomatry.
Result: Complaints deafness and aural fullness, blood stained discharge, and tinnitus resolved, whereas dizziness presists in some patients. By the end of three month follow up 25% of ear drum perforation (medium and small) had healed spontaneously. Hearing impairment was detected in 79 ears of the 84 ears. Recovery of hearing was complete in 9 ears and partial in 19 ears that followed up for one month. 6 patients were complained of vestibular balance abnormalities, 2 of them suffered from positional vertigo. Caloric test was not done because un-cooperation of patients and it was not valid all the time. Conclusion: exposure to high powered explosion may result in sever auditory and vestibular damage. Various symptom and signs may resolve within a period of  time.  The  distance  from  explosion,  the  side  of  explosion,  the  space  of explosion and the age of the patient have relation to the presentation of the patient and subsequent treatment.