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Acute acoustic trauma — DOccMed MCQ

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ModerateOccupational DiseaseAcute acoustic traumaDOccMed

A 42-year-old police officer develops chronic tinnitus after a firearms training exercise where his hearing protection failed. Audiometry shows bilateral high-frequency SNHL with a 4kHz notch. He claims this was a single acute noise exposure. Is this consistent with noise-induced hearing loss?

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Correct answer: B — A single acute noise exposure of sufficient intensity can cause permanent NIHL including a 4kHz notch pattern, and this is consistent with acoustic trauma from firearms

Acoustic trauma from a single high-intensity noise exposure (such as firearms at close range) can cause permanent NIHL with the classic 4kHz notch pattern. This is well-documented in military and police firearms training.

Reference: HSE HSG256; Noise at Work Regs; IIDB