National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Cincinnati, OH.
National Center for Rehabilitative Auditory Research, VA Portland Health Care System, OR.
Am J Audiol. 2021 Oct 11;30(3S):922-927. doi: 10.1044/2021_AJA-20-00226. Epub 2021 Aug 18.
Purpose Several military occupations, particularly those within the U.S. Air Force, require working with or around jet fuels. Jet fuels contain components that are known to affect central nervous function, yet effects of these fuels on auditory function, specifically auditory processing of sound, are not well understood at this time. Animal studies have demonstrated that exposure to jet fuels prior to noise exposure can exacerbate the noise exposure's effects, and service members exposed to jet fuels are at risk of noise exposure within their work environments. The purpose of this article was to give a brief synopsis of the evidence on the ototoxic effects due to jet fuel exposure to aid audiologists in their decision making when providing care for populations who are occupationally exposed to fuels or while during military service. Conclusions Exposure to jet fuels impacts central nervous function and, in combination with noise exposure, may have detrimental auditory effects that research has yet to fully explain. Additional longitudinal research is needed to explain the relationships, which have clinical implications for service members and others exposed to jet fuels. In the meantime, audiologists can gain useful information by screening for chemical exposures when obtaining patient case histories. If jet fuel exposure is suspected, the Lifetime Exposure to Noise and Solvents Questionnaire can be used to estimate a noise exposure ranking and identify other potentiating agents such as jet fuel and industrial chemicals. A history of jet fuel exposure should inform the selection of hearing tests in the audiometric evaluation and when devising the treatment plan.
目的
几种军事职业，特别是美国空军的某些职业，需要接触或处理喷气燃料。喷气燃料中含有已知会影响中枢神经系统功能的成分，但目前对于这些燃料对听觉功能的影响，特别是对声音的听觉处理，人们还知之甚少。动物研究表明，在接触噪声之前接触喷气燃料会加重噪声暴露的影响，而接触喷气燃料的现役军人在工作环境中面临噪声暴露的风险。本文的目的是简要概述喷气燃料暴露导致的耳毒性影响的证据，以帮助听力学家在为职业接触燃料或在兵役期间接触燃料的人群提供护理时做出决策。
结论
接触喷气燃料会影响中枢神经系统功能，并且与噪声暴露结合使用时，可能会产生有害的听觉影响，而研究尚未完全解释这些影响。需要进行更多的纵向研究来解释这些关系，这些关系对现役军人和其他接触喷气燃料的人具有临床意义。在此期间，听力学家可以通过在获取患者病史时筛查化学暴露来获取有用信息。如果怀疑有喷气燃料暴露，可使用终生噪声和溶剂暴露问卷来估计噪声暴露等级，并识别其他增强剂，如喷气燃料和工业化学品。喷气燃料暴露史应告知在听力测试评估和制定治疗计划时选择听力测试。
