Abstract
This study aimed to examine the integrity of the ear canal skin and its microbiological changes caused by an extended-wear hearing device. An extended-wear hearing device, Lyric2 (Phonak AG, Switzerland), which is the second generation of the Lyric device, was fitted to 52 ears of 27 subjects. A refit of the device was done for a selection of ears (n = 15) for which the initial fitting was interrupted (28 ears). A matching control group consisted of 10 ears of 10 subjects with no history of using any form of hearing aid for 3 months. The ear canal skin of ears fitted with the hearing device was inspected using an otoendoscope, and signs of problematic pathological conditions were graded. Microbiological examinations were performed at three different stages following fitting. Wearing the device was interrupted in 28 (53.8%) out of the 52 ears for the initial fitting, and 17 of the 28 interrupted cases (60.7%) were due to issues of the ear canal skin. In 3 of 15 ears (25%) following a refitting, wearing the device was interrupted yet again, and 1 of these 3 interruptions was caused by ear canal skin pathologies. Growth of bacteria was not enhanced or prompted by wearing the Lyric2, and Gram-negative bacteria could not be cultured while the device was in place. Based on aspects of ear canal skin pathology, continuous and nonproblematic uses of the Lyric2 device are presumed to be obtained if the fitting is done carefully. Wearing of the Lyric2 device can be considered safe from a microbiological perspective and does not promote growth of Gram-negative bacteria.
Sim, Jae Hoon