Abstract
Purpose: Tinnitus is a frustrating phenomenon affecting millions of Americans due to the perception of sound when no actual external noise is present. It is not a disease but rather a symptom that there is something wrong in the auditory system. The purpose of the scoping review is to identify and map the evidence for risk factors of tinnitus specifically in the pediatric population.
Methods: IRB approval was obtained before conducting the scoping review. A PCC framework was used and the population observed in the scoping review is pediatrics which includes children and adolescents, the concept is risk factors, and the context is tinnitus. The null hypothesis is that there are no risk factors in the pediatric population for tinnitus.
Results: Three databases were used in the search for articles which include Medline, CINAHL, and Cochrane. The PCC framework was then applied to all the databases. A PRISMA flowchart was used to identify and screen the articles to be included in the scoping review. After the articles were assessed and inclusion and exclusion criteria was applied and articles were reviewed, eight articles were included in the scoping review. Summary data from each publication included in the review can be seen in Table 1.
Conclusions: Risk factors for tinnitus in the pediatric population include hearing loss, amplified music with headphones, stress and depression levels, cerumen impaction, low income, exposure to passive smoking, occupational and recreational noise exposure, history of three or more ear infections, history of pressure equalization tubes, young age, recreational use of firearms, giddiness, and headache.
