Pola Gangguan Pendengaran di Poliklinik THT-BKL Rumah Sakit Prof. Dr. Chairuddin P. Lubis USU Medan

Abstract

Introduction. An individual who is unable to hear as well as those with normal hearing are considered to have hearing loss. Hearing loss is a health issue that can significantly impact a patient's quality of life, particularly in terms of communication and social interaction. Objective. To identify the patterns of hearing loss among patients at the ENT-HNS Outpatient Clinic of Prof. Dr. Chairuddin P. Lubis Hospital, Universitas Sumatera Utara, Medan. Method. This study uses an analytic-descriptive study design with a cross-sectional approach conducted from July to August 2024. Data were collected through interviews, demographic information questionnaires, and pure-tone audiometry examinations. The variables studied included age, gender, occupation, history of ear infections, hearing loss patterns, and degree of hearing loss. Results and Discussion. The study included 36 patients with the following characteristics: the majority were in the age range of 30-59 years (50%), male (55.6), worked outside the workshop, construction, and manufacturing sectors (88.9%), and had a history of otitis media (61.1%). Most samples experienced bilateral hearing loss (72.2%). The most common pattern of hearing loss was conductive hearing loss (40.3%) and mild degree hearing loss (45.8%). Fisher’s Exact Test correlation analysis revealed a significant relationship (p < 0.05) between age, history of ear infections, and gender on the right ear with the pattern of hearing loss. Conclusion. The most prevalent pattern of hearing loss identified in this study was mild conductive hearing loss, predominantly occurring in males aged 30-59 years with otitis media.