변조이음향방사 현장 검사에서 귀덮개 사용 효과

Effectiveness of Using Earmuffs in Boothless Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emission

Objective: The use of hearing protection devices (HPDs) can protect the auditory system by reducing loudness of the background noise. The attenuation provided by HPDs can also be used in boothless audiometry. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of HPDs in field testing by measuring the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs). Method: Twenty-eight workers (53 ears) from ○○ Heavy Industries participated in the study. The study was conducted in a dormitory situated in a quiet residential area. Pure tone screening (PTS) and DPOAEs with and without earmuffs were performed. Comparisons between frequencies were made using the hearing threshold level (HTL) at 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, 4,000 and 6,000 , and SNR at 1,001, 2,002, 2,832, 4,004 and 5,652 . The relationship between HTL and SNR was analyzed using Pearson's correlation analysis. A paired t-test was used to assess the difference in SNR between without-muff and with-muff conditions. Results: The difference between HTL and without-muff SNR was 2,002 (r=-.378, p=.005), 2,832 (r=-.593, p<.001), 4,004 (r=-.665, p<.001), 5,652 (r=-.637, p<.001) at , the difference between HTL and with-muff SNR was 2,002 (r=-.628, p<.001), 2,832 (r=-.762, p<.001), 4,004 (r=-.647, p<.001), 5,652 (r=-.539, p<.001) , respectively. With-muff SNR showed an average improvement of 2.4 dB over without-muff SNR from 1,184 to 4,761 , with a significant difference observed at 2,832 (p=0.028). Conclusion: Earmuffs can be used safely as a screening tool during DPOAE testing in boothless environments to distinguish environmental noise. This makes them a useful tool for objectively assessing the condition of inner ear hair cells in real time in workers exposed to noisy workplaces.