Onset of hearing loss in children with bacterial meningitis.

Auditory brainstem responses were evaluated in 37 children with bacterial meningitis within 48 hours of admission. Four children (two with Haemophilus influenzae type b, and two with Streptococcus pneumoniae) had definite abnormalities of hearing detected at admission. Two of these children had severe-to-profound hearing losses which have persisted. Hearing losses were greatly reduced in the other two children (one child also was ataxic) when repeat testing was performed. Auditory brainstem responses in two additional children suggested brainstem dysfunction at admission (one child died and the other has had severe sequelae). Hearing losses occur early in the course of bacterial meningitis in some children. Further studies are required to confirm the use of auditory brainstem responses in detecting hearing losses early in high-risk children with bacterial meningitis.