Objective: to know the etiology, topography, degree of hearing loss and coexisting morbidity in outpatient otorhinolaryngology service at Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Guadalajara, Jalisco.
Methods: descriptive and transversal study of 393 patients older than 12 years, were studied during 12 months. They were sent to the otorhinolaryngology service from five hospitals in Guadalajara. Three population groups were made (adolescents, adults and elderly); medical history, otoscopy and conventional tone audiometry was carried out.
Results: the average age of patients was 51.2 (SD 4.2 years), 57.8 % were women and 58.5 % adults. Of the 786 examined ears, 91.9 % (95% CI = 89.8-93.7) had hearing loss; chronic suppurative otitis media with or without sensorineural factor, was the most common of hearing loss, affecting 25.4 % (95% CI = 22.3-28.7) of the 723 hearing loss ears; after mixed cochleopathies (21.8 %, 95% CI = 18.8-25). Sensorineural hearing loss occurred in 85.6 % (95% CI = 82.8-88) and 31 % (95% CI= 27.4-34.3) had moderate hearing loss. The most common coexisting morbidity were high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus.
Conclusions: our data suggest that hearing loss in population study is a treatable pathology, this information will aid in the promotion of preventive measures for opportune detection of otitis and comorbidity and to implement detection campaigns in population of risk, schools and labor centers.