| Summary: | The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of hearing impairment and
transient effect of ear pathology among the army personnel who underwent firearm
training without wearing hearing protection.
A prospective cross-sectional study was carried out in RMAF 16 Melayu
Infantry unit of Desa Pahlawan camp, Kelantan and from infantry unit of 301 camp,
Tanah Merah , Kelantan, from July 2007 till October 2007. The population was taken
from an army personnel who involved in firearm training.The subject's particulars and
history takings were recorded and compiled. The subject's were examined by using
otoscope, tymponometry, portable audiometry and otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) and
findings were recorded. Evaluation and examination was performed in three stage , pre
shooting , post shooting less than 48 hours and post shooting more than 2 weeks.
Hearing threshold above 30 db at any frequencies was considered hearing impairment.
A total number of 210 army personnel were involved in this study. All were
males. The age range was from 21 years to 47 years old. The prevalence for post
shooting of the right middle ear effusion was 21.1% and for left 20%. Majority of the
hearing impairment occured at frequency of 6 kHz for both ears, 50.5% for right ear
and 67% at left ear. The prevalence of temporary threshold shift was 26% for right ear
and 21.4% for left ear. For permanent threshold shift, the prevalence for right and left
ear was 11% and 8.1 %. Those who were right handed shooter gave a significant p
value < 0.05, caused hearing impairment to the left ear. There was strong relation
between age, duration of work and frequency of firearm training causing hearing
impairment, with p value < 0.05.
Results from this study indicate that there is an urgent need from the Ministry of
Defense to develop appropriate intervention or hearing conservation program in order
to prevent army personnel from developing the noise induced hearing loss
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