Altered objective audiometry in aminoglycosides-treated human neonates.

To detect the eventual ototoxicity of aminoglycoside treatments in neonates, we compared brain stem response audiometry (BSRA) recordings in 15 neonates treated i.m. with either Gentamicin or Tobramycin at conventional dosages to those of 14 neonates used as a control group. All babies were housed in incubators and were comparable in gestational age (from 29 to 42 weeks). At day 0, BSRA did not significantly differ in the two groups, 90 dB latencies of the prominent wave V measured at 8.51 +/- 0.99 ms in the treated babies and 7.89 +/- 0.84 ms in the controls (p > 0.10), respectively. After 5 days of aminoglycoside treatment, the latencies of the wave V dwelled on 9.13 +/- 1.90 ms while remaining at 7.75 +/- 1.11 ms in the control group (p < 0.01). At day 10 latencies reached 8.73 +/- 1.47 ms in treated babies as compared t 7.31 +/- 1.06 ms in controls (p < 0.01).