PURPOSE: to draw the audiometric profile of patients exposed to noise, attended the Center for Occupational Health Foundation's Hospital of Montes Claros (Aroldo Tourinho Hospital) in Minas Gerais. METHODS: analysis of audiological records of the Center for Occupational Health of Foundation Hospital of Montes Claros / MG of workers exposed to occupational noise in the period June to December 2006. RESULTS: the sample of medical records characterized by male predominance (98.3%), with a mean age of 34.7 years. Data obtained as follows: 37.9% of workers were not using any type of hearing protector, 19.8% of workers were exposed to one or more chemical agent, 17% reported hearing any complaints, 6.3% used some medicine, 7, 4% cited previous diseases, 6.7% reported hearing disability in the family. It was identified that 13.2% of workers had hearing loss in right ear (31.8% of hearing loss were suggestive of hearing loss induced by high levels of sound pressure) and 15.5% in the left ear (36.77% of hearing loss were suggestive of hearing loss induced by high levels of sound pressure). CONCLUSION: in this study there was a high prevalence of suggestive audiometric alterations concerning hearing loss induced by high levels of sound pressure, with higher prevalence of hearing loss in the left ear. There were also significant differences in relation to workers' daily exposure to noise, noise and non-occupational tasks performed by the workers. Moreover, the inadequate and inappropriate use of personal auricular protective equipment by workers exposed to noise is preoccupying.
Noise; Noise Occupational; Hearing Loss; Hearing; Hearing Loss Noise-Induced
