Hearing impairment associated with chronic renal failure.

The auditory sensitivity of 67 patients with chronic end-stage renal failure was assessed. In order to determine the incidence of hearing loss and to describe the impairment and possible contributing factors, one group of 39 patients was assessed prior to treatment by hemodialysis. Twelve of these subjects were then followed for 1 year as they are treated by hemodialysis. The remaining 27 patients, not treated by hemodialysis, were also retested in one year. A second group of 28 patients who ad been receiving hemodialysis over periods of 1 1/2, 3, and 6 years was also evaluated. A high incidence of high-frequency impairment was obtained which could not be attributed to age, noise exposure, ototoxicity, or hereditary. An association between this high-frequency impairment and both the renal disease and its treatment was suggested. Clinically significant sensorineural hearing loss did not appear associated with non-genetic kidney disease.