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Objectives: The aim of our investigation was to explore the relationship between unaided pure-tone and speech audiometry and self-reported aided performance measured according to five predetermined COSI categories among first-time hearing aid users and experienced hearing aid users. Methods: Data from 286 patients were retrospectively evaluated. We divided the sample into first-time hearing aid users (G1) and experienced hearing aid users (G2). The correlation between unaided tonal and speech audiometry and five preliminary selected client-oriented scale of improvement (COSI) categories was studied. Results: A greater percentage of hearing aid users aged >80 years and a higher prevalence of severe-to-profound hearing loss in G2 group were observed ( p < 0.05). For the total cohort, a mean hearing threshold of 60.37 ± 18.77 db HL emerged in the right ear, and 59.97 ± 18.76 db HL was detected in the left ear ( p > 0.05). A significant statistical difference was observed in the group of first-time hearing aid users for the "Television/Radio at normal volume" item, where patients with a lower speech intellection threshold (SIT) were associated with higher COSI scores ( p = 0.019). Studying the relationship between the speech reception threshold (SRT) and the COSI item "conversation with 1 or 2 in noise" evidenced worse speech audiometry in patients who scored ≤2 among experienced hearing aid users ( p = 0.00012); a higher mean 4-8 kHz frequencies threshold for the better ear was found within the G2 group among those who scored ≤2 in the COSI item "conversation with 1 or 2 in quiet" ( p = 0.043). Conclusions: Our study confirms a poor correlation between unaided tonal and speech audiometry and self-reported patient assessment. Although we included only five COSI categories in this study, it is clear that unaided audiometric tests may drive the choice of proper hearing rehabilitation, but their value in predicting the benefit of hearing aids remains limited.

Occupational accidents, despite continuous safety updates, are still a scourge in the occupational and forensic spheres, constituting, among other things, the subject of a large share of litigation. Demographic data can help to understand the areas where the application of health surveillance is lacking. This meta-analysis sets out to analyse data from studies on accidents at work, focusing on the correlation between the areas in which accidents occur and whether or not personal safety equipment is used, in relation to the different regulations in force. For the selection of the data, a systematic review was carried out according to the PRISMA guidelines, with the primary objective of identifying the trend of occupational accidents in specific geographical areas, which differ in terms of the attention paid to preventive aspects. The data we highlighted showed, regarding the type of accident, substantial differences between low-income countries and industrialised countries (stratified according to the Human Development Index) and, an overall indifference as to whether or not individual safety devices were used, revealing that, despite the continuous normative evolution in the field of safety at work, even today, the investigative data on the actual application of the regulations, during accidents at work, is underestimated and little researched., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Malta, Matera, Plescia, Calascibetta, Argo and Cannizzaro.)

Purpose: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) may be found in patients complaining of hearing disorders. The aim of our investigation was to describe audiological findings in BPPV patients, focusing on subjects with asymmetric hearing loss (AHL), to better understand whether otoconial displacement may occur preferentially in the worst hearing ear., Methods: A prospective study was performed on 112 BPPV patients. We divided the sample into subjects who suffered from AHL (G1) and patients with did not (G2). Data regarding vestibular symptoms, tinnitus, migraine, antivertigo drug therapy, and vascular risk factors were collected., Results: Out of 30 AHL subjects, 83.33% of them were affected by sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in at least one ear, with a significant difference in the distribution of hearing loss type between groups (p = 0.0006). In 70% of cases, the ear affected by BPPV was the one with the worst hearing threshold (p = 0.02); threshold asymmetry predicted BPPV in the worst hearing ear (p = 0.03). The predictability depended neither on the hearing threshold gap between ears nor the severity of the hearing threshold in the worst ear (p > 0.05). No differences in vascular risk factors between groups were observed (p > 0.05). We evidenced a moderate correlation between age and hearing threshold (ρ = 0.43). Age did not result a predictive factor for residual dizziness or BPPV in the worst ear (p > 0.05)., Conclusions: Our study supports the likelihood of an otoconial displacement in the worse hearing ear in BPPV patients. Clinicians should start testing the worst hearing ear when managing AHL patients with suspected BPPV., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)