[Follow-up and evaluation by means of brain stem evoked potentials of a pediatric population diagnosed as having had fetal distress]. / Seguimiento y valoración mediante potenciales evocados de tronco cerebral de una población pediátrica diagnosticada de sufrimiento fetal.

ABSTRACT

A population of 80 patients affected with foetal distress is analyzed classifying it according to a qualitative variable (Apgar test) to which we assigned three category levels normal/low/very low; and a quantitative variable, the pH from the umbilical artery being more or less than 7.15. We also studied all the clinical variables and complications derived from the base illness and their relationship. Four subpopulations were established which were studied by means of brain stem potential audiometry over 3 years, establishing that in those patients whose pH is less than 7.15 and their Apgar test is low/very low there exists a very high incidence of hypoacusis, characterized as sensorineural in 13.3%, conductive in 13.3%, not classifiable in 60%, and retrocochlear in 13.3%. There was a tendency to improve in 26.6%. Four of the 24 patients that are in this group wear an auditory prosthesis as an indication of the important damage suffered. There is no relationship in our study between the hypoacusis and the tests of the clinical variables which confirms the foetal distress.