Direct Health Expenditure Analysis Related to Hearing Loss in Individuals Using Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the expenditures related to hearing devices and compare the differences in expenditures in child and adult users. Methods: A preliminary questionnaire was developed and conducted amongst hearing aid and cochlear implant users. A total of 178 patients (57.3% were hearing aid users, 42.7% were cochlear implant users) were included in the study and grouped as adults (first group, 50 patients), and children 1< (second group, 123 patients). Results: The results of the study showed that individuals used approximately 4.5% of their annual income as health expenditure related to hearing loss. This rate was over 5% for child users, and about 2.7% for adult users. Moreover, the expenditure made by adult users was below the amount of expenditure made for children in all health expenditure indicators. Conclusion: Supporting the family budget for hearing loss expenditures not covered by the public health insurance will minimize the financial problems caused by the disability.

Assessment of the Speech Intelligibility Performance of Post Lingual Cochlear Implant Users at Different Signal-to-Noise Ratios Using the Turkish Matrix Test.

BACKGROUND: Spoken word recognition and speech perception tests in quiet are being used as a routine in assessment of the benefit which children and adult cochlear implant users receive from their devices. Cochlear implant users generally demonstrate high level performances in these test materials as they are able to achieve high level speech perception ability in quiet situations. Although these test materials provide valuable information regarding Cochlear Implant (CI) users' performances in optimal listening conditions, they do not give realistic information regarding performances in adverse listening conditions, which is the case in the everyday environment. AIMS: The aim of this study was to assess the speech intelligibility performance of post lingual CI users in the presence of noise at different signal-to-noise ratio with the Matrix Test developed for Turkish language. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: The thirty post lingual implant user adult subjects, who had been using implants for a minimum of one year, were evaluated with Turkish Matrix test. Subjects' speech intelligibility was measured using the adaptive and non-adaptive Matrix Test in quiet and noisy environments. RESULTS: The results of the study show a correlation between Pure Tone Average (PTA) values of the subjects and Matrix test Speech Reception Threshold (SRT) values in the quiet. Hence, it is possible to asses PTA values of CI users using the Matrix Test also. However, no correlations were found between Matrix SRT values in the quiet and Matrix SRT values in noise. Similarly, the correlation between PTA values and intelligibility scores in noise was also not significant. Therefore, it may not be possible to assess the intelligibility performance of CI users using test batteries performed in quiet conditions. CONCLUSION: The Matrix Test can be used to assess the benefit of CI users from their systems in everyday life, since it is possible to perform intelligibility test with the Matrix test using a material that CI users experience in their everyday life and it is possible to assess their difficulty in speech discrimination in noisy conditions they have to cope with.

[The investigation of intestinal parasites in two primary schools in different social-economic districts of the city of Yozgat, Turkey]. / Yozgat Il Merkezinde Farkli Sosyo-Ekonomik Bölgelerdeki Iki Ilkögretim Okulunda Bagirsak Parazitlerinin Arastirilmasi.

The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of intestinal parasites among children in two primary schools in different social-economic districts in the central region of Yozgat and to educate the children about parasitic diseases. During the study, cellophane tape preparations and stool samples that had been prepared using direct mounting methods were examined. In addition the students were informed about intestinal parasites. Parasitic infection was observed in 128 (34.9%) out of 367 students and the highest rate of 16.1% was that of Entamoeba coli. The rate of Giardia intestinalis, Enterobius vermicularis, Hymenolepis nana, Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, Taenia saginata, Ascaris lumbricoides and Trichuris trichiura were found to be 15.5%, 8.4%, 2.2%, 1.6%, 1.6%, 1.6% and 0.5%, respectively. In cases with parasitosis, one species of parasite was found in 68.0%, 2 species in 27.3% and 3 species in 4.7%. Thus, intestinal parasites are important among primary school children in Yozgat and it seems that there is a relationship between socio-economic conditions and the rate of intestinal parasites.