During a health history interview the nurse becomes concerned that a patient is at risk for a genetic hearing disorder. On what information did the nurse base this clinical decision?

Question

Select all that apply.

1. The patient's mother, age 76, uses hearing aids.
2. The patient's father had tubes in the ears as a child.
3. The patient's brother lost his hearing because of a thyroid disorder.
4. The patient's sister was treated for ear drainage after swimming.
5. The patient's nephew had surgery to remove a tumor on the acoustic nerve.

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 1, 3, 5
Hereditary hearing impairment (HHI) is believed to account for more than 50% of childhood hearing loss and can also manifest later in life. Most HHI follows an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern. Heredity is also increasingly recognized as a contributor to presbycusis. Pendred syndrome is an inherited disorder that accounts for as much as 10% of hereditary deafness. The deafness is usually accompanied by a thyroid goiter. Neurofibromatosis, a rare inherited disorder, is characterized by the development of acoustic neuromas or benign tumors of the auditory nerve. Tubes in the ears may have been used to treat ear infections; ear drainage is an indication of an infection. These situations do not increase the patient's risk for a genetic hearing loss.