Paediatric auditory brainstem response and pure-tone audiometry: threshold comparisons. A study of 142 difficult-to-test children.

Auditory brainstem response (ABR) thresholds have been determined in 142 anaesthetized 'difficult-to-test' children. The stimuli employed were 2-kHz tone bursts. Pneumatic otomicroscopy was carried out prior to the ABR assessment in all cases, and diagnostic myringotomy was performed when there was the slightest suspicion of abnormality. Long-term follow-up pure-tone audiograms were obtained in 56 patients. A comparison was made between ABR and pure-tone thresholds in the 2-4 kHz range both in healthy middle ears and in ears having middle ear effusion (MEE) at the time of ABR measurement. A correction factor for prediction of behavioural threshold from the ABR threshold both in healthy and in MEE ears is proposed.