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Original Article

Characteristics of acute acoustical trauma in the Finnish Defence Forces

Las características del trauma acústico agudo en las Fuerzas de Defensa de Finlandia

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Pages 177-181 | Received 10 Jan 2003, Accepted 01 Apr 2003, Published online: 07 Jul 2009
 

Abstract

In spite of strict safety regulations concerning firearm shooting, several hundred conscripts still suffer acute acoustical trauma (AAT) in the Finnish Defence Forces (FDF) every year, resulting in symptoms such as tinnitus and/or hearing impairment. The causes leading to AAT, causative weapons and mode and level of hearing protection were analysed to find out why so many AATs still occur in the FDF. The material consisted of 119 patients of the total 163 AAT patients treated at the Central Military Hospital during the year 2000. In 87.5% of cases, the AATs occurred in unprotected ears. The most common causative weapon was the assault rifle. Most of the AATs occurred during combat training in the field. Immediately after the AAT, 46.7% of conscripts had hearing impairment and 94.2% tinnitus. Hearing loss, tinnitus or both were experienced by 45% of conscripts at the last follow-up. Careful planning of training exercises could probably prevent some but not all AATs.

Sumario

A pesar de las estrictas reglas de seguridad en el tiro con armas de fuego, varios cientos de conscriptos de las Fuerzas de Defensa de Finlandia (FDF) aún presentan trauma acústico agudo (AAT) cada año, con los consecuentes síntomas como acúfeno, y/o hipoacusia. Se analizaron las causas que llevan al AAT, como las armas causantes y la forma y grado de protección auditiva, para saber porqué todavía existe tanto AAT en las FDF. Se estudiaron 119 pacientes de un total de 163 que tenían AAT, tratados en el Hospital Central Militar durante el año 2000. En 87.5% de los casos, el AAT se presentó en oídos no protegidos. El arma causante más común fue el rifle de asalto. La mayoría de los AAT ocurrió en el campo de entrenamiento de combate. Inmediatamente después del AAT, 46.7% de los conscriptos presentaron hipoacusia y 94.2% acúfeno. 45% de ellos presentaban hipoacusia, acúfeno o ambos en la última evaluación. Una cuidadosa planeación de los ejercicios de entrenamiento probablemente podría prevenir algunos, pero no todos los casos de AAT.

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