Christopher G Brennan-Jones1,2, Robert H Eikelboom1,2,3, De Wet Swanepoel1,2,3, Peter L Friedland1,2,4,5, Marcus D Atlas1,2,5. 1. a Ear Science Institute Australia , Subiaco , Perth , Australia . 2. b Ear Sciences Centre, School of Surgery , The University of Western Australia , Crawley , Australia . 3. c Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology , University of Pretoria , South Africa . 4. d School of Medicine , University of Notre Dame , Fremantle , Australia , and. 5. e Department of Otolaryngology, Head, Neck and Skull Base Surgery , Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital , Nedlands , Australia.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Examine the accuracy of automated audiometry in a clinically heterogeneous population of adults using the KUDUwave automated audiometer. DESIGN: Prospective accuracy study. Manual audiometry was performed in a sound-treated room and automated audiometry was not conducted in a sound-treated environment. STUDY SAMPLE: 42 consecutively recruited participants from a tertiary otolaryngology department in Western Australia. RESULTS: Absolute mean differences ranged between 5.12-9.68 dB (air-conduction) and 8.26-15 dB (bone-conduction). A total of 86.5% of manual and automated 4FAs were within 10 dB (i.e. ±5 dB); 94.8% were within 15 dB. However, there were significant (p < 0.05) differences between automated and manual audiometry at 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz (air-conduction) and 500 and 1000 Hz (bone-conduction). The effect of age (≥55 years) on accuracy (p = 0.014) was not significant on linear regression (p > 0.05; R(2) =( ) 0.11). The presence of a hearing loss (better ear ≥26 dB) did not significantly affect accuracy (p = 0.604; air-conduction), (p = 0.218; bone-conduction). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides clinical validation of automated audiometry using the KUDUwave in a clinically heterogeneous population, without the use of a sound-treated environment. Whilst threshold variations were statistically significant, future research is needed to ascertain the clinical significance of such variation.
OBJECTIVE: Examine the accuracy of automated audiometry in a clinically heterogeneous population of adults using the KUDUwave automated audiometer. DESIGN: Prospective accuracy study. Manual audiometry was performed in a sound-treated room and automated audiometry was not conducted in a sound-treated environment. STUDY SAMPLE: 42 consecutively recruited participants from a tertiary otolaryngology department in Western Australia. RESULTS: Absolute mean differences ranged between 5.12-9.68 dB (air-conduction) and 8.26-15 dB (bone-conduction). A total of 86.5% of manual and automated 4FAs were within 10 dB (i.e. ±5 dB); 94.8% were within 15 dB. However, there were significant (p < 0.05) differences between automated and manual audiometry at 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz (air-conduction) and 500 and 1000 Hz (bone-conduction). The effect of age (≥55 years) on accuracy (p = 0.014) was not significant on linear regression (p > 0.05; R(2) =( ) 0.11). The presence of a hearing loss (better ear ≥26 dB) did not significantly affect accuracy (p = 0.604; air-conduction), (p = 0.218; bone-conduction). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides clinical validation of automated audiometry using the KUDUwave in a clinically heterogeneous population, without the use of a sound-treated environment. Whilst threshold variations were statistically significant, future research is needed to ascertain the clinical significance of such variation.
Authors: Mark Bastianelli; Amy E Mark; Arran McAfee; David Schramm; Renée Lefrançois; Matthew Bromwich Journal: J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg Date: 2019-11-07