Long-Term Evolution of the Electrical Stimulation Levels for Cochlear Implant Patients

OBJECTIVES: The stimulation levels programmed in cochlear implant systems are affected by an evolution since the first switch-on of the processor. This study was designed to evaluate the changes in stimulation levels over time and the relationship between post-implantation physiological changes and with the hearing experience provided by the continuous use of the cochlear implant. METHODS: Sixty-two patients, ranging in age from 4 to 68 years at the moment of implantation participated in this study. All subjects were implanted with the 12 channels COMBI 40+ cochlear implant at San Cecilio University Hospital, Granada, Spain. Hearing loss etiology and progression characteristics varied across subjects. RESULTS: The analyzed programming maps show that the stimulation levels suffer a fast evolution during the first weeks after the first switch-on of the processor. Then, the evolution becomes slower and the programming parameters tend to be stable at about 6 months after the first switch-on. The evolution of the stimulation levels implies an increment of the electrical dynamic range, which is increased from 15.4 to 20.7 dB and improves the intensity resolution. A significant increment of the sensitivity to acoustic stimuli is also observed. For some patients, we have also observed transitory changes in the electrode impedances associated to secretory otitis media, which cause important changes in the programming maps. CONCLUSION: We have studied the long-term evolution of the stimulation levels in cochlear implant patients. Our results show the importance of systematic measurements of the electrode impedances before the revision of the programming map. This report also highlights that the evolution of the programming maps is an important factor to be considered in order to determine an adequate calendar fitting of the cochlear implant processor.

Comportamiento llínico-epidemiológico de la malria cerebral en la unidad de cuuidados intensivos / Clinical-epidemiological behaviour of the cerebral malaria in the intensive care unit

Se realizó un estudio descriptivo transversal sobre el comportamiento clínico-epidemiológico de la malaria cerebral en 79 pacientes ingresados en la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos del Hospital Reina Victoria de Banjul, Gambia, desde enero a septiembre de 2006. Se estudiaron las variables grupos de edades, sexo, manifestaciones clínicas neurológicas, estados patológicos asociados y signos de mal pronóstico. Correspondieron al sexo femenino (56.9 %) y al grupo de edades de 15 a 29 años (43.03 %) los mayores porcentajes. El síntoma neurológico más común fue el deterioro de la conciencia (75.9 %) y el signo de mal pronóstico el coma profundo (60.7 %); la meningoencefalitis bacteriana (29.1%) y la neumonía nosocomial (25.3 %) constituyeron los procesos patológicos más asociados. La letalidad fue del 48.1%. Se concluyó que la letalidad fue elevada y se asociaron a esta, el coma profundo conjuntamente con las convulsiones recidivantes, la oligoanuria y el íctero, por lo que se requiere de protocolos actualizados de actuación, que conduzcan a la reducción de la mortalidad.

A cross-sectional descriptive study on clinical-epidemiological behavior of the cerebral malaria in 79 patients admitted in the Intensive Care Unit at Victoria Reina Hospital in Banjul, Gambia, from January to September 2006. The variables age groups, sex, neurological clinical manifestations, associated pathological states and signs of poor prognosis were studied. The (56.9%) were females and the age groups between 15 to 29 years (43.03%) the greater percentages. The most common neurological symptom was the deterioration of the consciousness (75.9%) and the sign of poor prognosis deep coma (60.7%); the bacterial meningoencephalitis (29.1%) and the nosocomial pneumonia (25.3%) constituted the most associated pathological processes. Deadliness was about the 48.1%. It was concluded that deadliness was high and were associated with it, deep coma jointly with recurrent convulsions, oligoanuria and jaundice, for which is required updated protocols of action that conduct to reduction of mortality.