Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, FI-00029 HUS Helsinki, Finland.
Tmi Rauno Pääkkönen, FI-33720 Tampere, Finland.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Feb 14;20(4):3366. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20043366.
Conscripts are exposed to various sources of impulse noise despite hearing protection recommendations. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of acute acoustic trauma (AAT) among conscripts after exposure to assault rifle noise in the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF). This nationwide population-based cohort comprised all conscripts (>220,000) in the FDF during the years 1997-2003 and 2008-2010. We included those who claimed to have AAT symptoms from assault rifle noise during the study periods. During the investigated 10 years, 1617 conscripts (annual variation, 75-276) experienced a new hearing loss due to AAT. Altogether, 1456 (90%) of all AAT-induced hearing losses were caused by rifle-caliber weapons and 1304 (90%) of them when firing a blank cartridge. There was no clear diminishing trend in the annual numbers of AATs. In 1277 (88%) incidents, no hearing protector was used. Tinnitus was the most prominent symptom. Hearing losses after AAT were typically mild, but serious deficits also occurred. In conclusion, we found that 0.7-1.5% of the conscripts experienced an AAT during their service in the FDF. Most incidents occurred when firing a blank cartridge with a rifle-caliber weapon and with no hearing protector in use.
新兵在接触到冲击噪声时，尽管有听力保护建议，但仍会接触到各种噪声源。本研究旨在调查芬兰国防军（FDF）中突击步枪噪声暴露后新兵急性听觉创伤（AAT）的频率。这项基于全国人口的队列研究包括了 1997-2003 年和 2008-2010 年期间 FDF 中的所有新兵（>220,000 人）。我们纳入了那些在研究期间声称因突击步枪噪声而出现 AAT 症状的人。在调查的 10 年间，有 1617 名新兵（年变化率为 75-276）因 AAT 而出现新的听力损失。总共，1456 名（90%）的所有 AAT 引起的听力损失是由步枪口径武器引起的，1304 名（90%）是由空包弹射击引起的。AAT 的年发生率没有明显的下降趋势。在 1277 次（88%）事件中，没有使用听力保护器。耳鸣是最突出的症状。AAT 后的听力损失通常较轻，但也会出现严重的听力损失。总之，我们发现，0.7-1.5%的新兵在芬兰国防军服役期间经历了 AAT。大多数事件发生在使用步枪口径武器发射空包弹且未使用听力保护器的情况下。
