| Abstract Information: |
| Title: |
Issues Related to Using Sedation In EHDI Diagnostic Procedures |
| Primary Track: |
2-Audiological Assessment and Intervention
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| Keyword(s): |
Sedation, Diagnosis, infants |
Abstract: |
As newborn hearing screening has expanded, more and more infants need diagnostic Auditory Brainstem Response testing to determine whether permanent hearing loss is present. Although definitive data does not exist, difficulties with completing all of the required diagnostic testing in one visit seems to be leading to more frequent use of sedation in doing diagnostic audiological testing. Because of potential dangers associated with sedation of infants, protocols and standards of practice have been promulgated by professional groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Speech Language Hearing Association. These protocols appropriately require that any sedation used with an infant be carefully monitored by appropriate medical personnel and that emergency medical services be immediately available whenever sedation is used. In addition, many centers performing diagnostic audiology for infants have developed their own protocols that are even more restrictive. For example, some centers will only do ABRs in the operating room under general anesthesia. Such policies have the potential of significantly delaying the age at which hearing loss is being identified because such procedures cannot be done until infants are older and some parents are reluctant to have their infant sedated.
The purpose of this presentation is to outline the pros and cons of routinely using sedation to complete diagnostic audiological evaluations for infants referred from newborn hearing screening programs and to summarize the best practice recommendations from relevant professional organizations. Additionally, the results of a survey of all state EHDI programs done by the National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management (NCHAM) regarding:
• Policies and practices of state EDHI programs regarding sedation of infants for diagnostic audiology
• How frequently sedation is being used in each state
• The impact of sedation policies and practices on age of identification |
| Presentation(s): |
Not Available
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| Handouts: |
Not Available
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