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Treatment of military acoustic accidents with N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC).

  • 2019-01-17
  • International journal of audiology 58(3)
    • Ulf Rosenhall
    • Björn Skoog
    • Per Muhr

Study Design

Type
Observational
Population
Personnel of the Swedish Armed Forces exposed to military acoustic accidents, 221 cases (mean age: 22.9 years)
Methods
Retrospective, observational study; NAC (400 mg) given directly after the accident in 146 cases; 75 had not received NAC
Duration
5 year period

Objective

To study if the antioxidant (AO) N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) reduces the risk of hearing loss after acoustic accidents in humans.

Design

A retrospective, observational study.

Study sample

Personnel of the Swedish Armed Forces (SAF) exposed to military acoustic accidents during a 5 year period. Included in the study were 221 cases (mean age: 22.9 years). Most of the exposures, 84%, were weapon related. NAC (400 mg) was given directly after the accident in 146 cases; 75 had not received NAC.

Results

The prevalence of hearing thresholds ≥25 dB HL, and the incidence of threshold shifts ≥10 dB, was lower in the NAC group than in the non-NAC group directly after the noise exposure. The deterioration was temporary and not discernable a long time after the accident. The difference was most pronounced in the right ear. The risk reduction to get a temporary hearing loss (TTS), affecting one or both ears was 39% (significant) in the NAC group.

Conclusions

The study has demonstrated a significant reduction of the incidence of TTS by the use of NAC. Since cases of both permanent hearing loss (PTS) and noise-induced tinnitus are recruited from cases with TTS, the demonstrated risk reduction indicates a positive effect of NAC.

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