Introduction Hearing loss can compromise the language, learning process, and socialization of students. Objective Study the audiometric findings among Curitiba and Metropolitan Area students. Methods Analysis of data collected at the hearing health service of Paraná State special education and inclusion department. Results The sample consisted of 646 students, children and teenagers of both genders (38.2% female and 61.8% male), with average age of 8.12 years (range 2 to 15); all were students of public or private schools of Curitiba and Metropolitan Area. The justifications to refer the students to audiometric evaluation were: otolaryngologists diagnosis (73.1%), school difficulties (39.6%), and midlevel hearing problems (32%). Audiometric results showed that 29.5% of the students had hearing loss. Conductive hearing losses showed the greatest occurrence among preschool students (right ear 38.6%, left ear 39.8%). The predominant hearing loss degree was mild (RE 20.5%, LE 19.3%) to slight (RE 17%, LE 19.3%), as was the horizontal configuration (RE 81.5%, LE 78.4%). A significant relationship (p = 0.0000) between hearing loss and poor school performance was noted. Conclusion Considering the available data, especially the high number of findings of conductive losses, it is necessary to highlight prevention and diagnosis of early hearing alteration. Nevertheless, Brazil, as an emerging country, has been pursuing improvement in health and life quality of all citizens.

INTRODUÇÃO: O teste das emissões otoacústicas representa um instrumento fundamental na avaliação da função auditiva, uma vez que possibilita detectar precocemente os danos cocleares de origem ocupacional. OBJETIVO: Realizar uma revisão na literatura para analisar a produção científica sobre a aplicação clínica do teste de emissões otoacústicas evocadas em trabalhadores expostos ao ruído. MÉTODO: Foram realizadas por meio de um levantamento bibliográfico dos artigos publicados em revistas nacionais e internacionais, indexadas em bases de dados de reconhecimento internacional para as ciências da saúde, LILACS, SCIELO e MEDLINE, pesquisados na Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde, num período de tempo de dez anos, utilizando os termos "emissões otoacústicas; exposição ocupacional/otoacustic emissions; occupational exposure". Foi levado em consideração o tipo de artigo publicado (nacional/internacional); o tipo e intensidade do estímulo da emissão otoacústica evocada mais utilizada; o gênero e a faixa etária idade dos sujeitos; bem como a conclusão dos estudos retrospectivos. COMENTÁRIOS FINAIS: dos 19 artigos científicos analisados, sete eram nacionais e 12 internacionais. Observou-se que o tipo de emissão otoacústica evocada mais utilizada para a pesquisa das emissões foi o produto de distorção (12), abrangendo sujeitos entre a faixa etária de 17 a 77 anos, do gênero masculino, em sua maioria. Assim, por meio dos estudos publicados concluímos que a aplicação das Emissões Otoacústicas Evocadas em trabalhadores expostos a ruído é um importante instrumento na investigação e diagnóstico precoce da perda auditiva induzida por ruído.

INTRODUCTION: The otoacoustic emissions test is an essential tool in the evaluation of auditory function, since it allows the early detection of cochlear damage of occupational origin. OBJECTIVE: To present a review of the literature and analyze the effectiveness of the clinical application of the otoacoustic emissions test in workers exposed to noise. METHODS: A bibliographical search covering a period of 10 years was performed in the Virtual Health Library including published articles in national and international journals indexed in the internationally recognized databases for the health sciences, LILACS, SCIELO, and MEDLINE, using the terms "otoacoustic emissions" and "occupational exposure." The type of published article (national/international), the type and intensity of the stimulus most commonly used for the evoked otoacoustic emissions, the gender and age of the subjects, and the conclusions from the retrospective studies were all taken into consideration. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A total of 19 articles were analyzed, 7 national and 12 international, covering subjects from 17 to 77 years of age, mostly men. The type of stimulus most commonly used for the evoked otoacoustic emissions was the distortion method (12). Through this review, we have concluded that testing of evoked otoacoustic emissions in workers exposed to noise is an important tool in the early diagnosis of noise-induced cochlear hearing disorders.