[Documentation of the effects of child cap pistols]

Abstract

The study presents an analysis of 20 cases of acute acoustic trauma caused by toy pistols. The problem generally involves boys within the age range from 6 to 11 years. Half of the incidents involved attacks with toy pistols used as weapons. Auditory damage appeared in two types, each of which had a notch in the audiogram at the frequency range between 10 and 14 kHz. In children, a shot close to one ear can damage both ears. Great differences in the severity of tinnitus were apparent. The most severe cases of tinnitus were observed in the children with no or minor permanent auditory damage. Children experiencing long periods of uninterrupted tinnitus suffer significantly. This is not only detrimental to family life, but also to the performance of the children at school. The total expenses of treatment for these 20 cases were estimated to be approximately 80,000 DM (40,000 Euro).