Hearing loss in end-stage renal disease - effect of dialysis.

Hearing sensitivity was determined in 23 patients with end-stage renal disease shortly before and 1-5 years after the institution of maintenance hemodialysis. Normal or only slightly abnormal hearing sensitivity was found in 9 of our 23 patients while the remaining 14 patients had marked hearing abnormalities at the onset of dialysis treatment. Neither group showed any significant change in their audiographic findings during the study period. It thus appears that chronic hemodialysis may have no effect on hearing abnormalities associated with end-stage renal disease.