Price T G, Goldsmith L J
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Prehosp Emerg Care. 1998 Oct-Dec;2(4):308-11. doi: 10.1080/10903129808958886.
To determine whether emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics suffer excessive hearing loss as a result of occupational noise exposure. A secondary objective was to determine noise levels in a modern ambulance.
This retrospective study reviewed audiograms for EMTs and paramedics currently employed by the Louisville Emergency Medical Services. The age-adjusted threshold shift was calculated for the right and left ears at 1,000, 2,000, and 4,000 Hz in 81 of these individuals. Seventy-four of the subjects also had measurements that allowed similar calculations at 3,000 Hz in both ears. The age-adjusted threshold shift was then correlated with the elapsed time. Second, noise levels were measured inside an ambulance at several times during an eight-hour shift.
The correlation coefficient of age-adjusted threshold shifts and elapsed time was greatest at 2,000 Hz in the left ear but was still not significant at -0.2692. The noise levels in the ambulance ranged from 58 dBA in the patient compartment while stationary to 84 dBA in the forward cab with the windows down and the siren in use.
There was no significant correlation between the number of months elapsed between audiograms and the age-adjusted threshold shift at any frequency in either ear. There appears to be no excessive loss of hearing acuity in ambulance personnel. The noise levels in the study ambulance stayed well below the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines.
确定急救医疗技术员（EMT）和护理人员是否因职业噪声暴露而遭受过度听力损失。第二个目的是确定现代救护车中的噪声水平。
这项回顾性研究回顾了路易斯维尔紧急医疗服务部门目前雇佣的EMT和护理人员的听力图。对其中81人的右耳和左耳在1000、2000和4000赫兹处计算年龄调整后的阈值偏移。74名受试者还进行了测量，从而能够对双耳在3000赫兹处进行类似计算。然后将年龄调整后的阈值偏移与经过时间进行关联。其次，在八小时轮班期间的几个时间点测量了救护车内的噪声水平。
年龄调整后的阈值偏移与经过时间的相关系数在左耳2000赫兹处最大，但仍不显著，为-0.2692。救护车中的噪声水平范围从静止时患者舱内的58分贝A到前驾驶室窗户放下且警报器使用时的84分贝A。
听力图之间经过的月数与任一耳朵在任何频率下的年龄调整后的阈值偏移之间没有显著相关性。救护人员似乎没有过度的听力敏锐度损失。研究中的救护车内的噪声水平远低于职业安全与健康管理局（OSHA）的指导方针。
