Karina C De Sousa1, Cas Smits2, David R Moore3,4, Hermanus Carel Myburgh5, De Wet Swanepoel1,6. 1. Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa. 2. Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Otolaryngology - Head and Neck surgery, Ear and Hearing, Amsterdam Public Health research institute, De Boelelaan, Amsterdam, Netherlands. 3. Communication Sciences Research Center, Cincinnati Childrens' Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. 4. Manchester Centre for Audiology and Deafness, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK. 5. Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa. 6. Ear Science Institute Australia, Subiaco, Australia.
Abstract
Objective: COVID-19 has been prohibitive to traditional audiological services. No- or low-touch audiological assessment outside a sound-booth precludes test batteries including bone conduction audiometry. This study investigated whether conductive hearing loss (CHL) can be differentiated from sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) using pure-tone air conduction audiometry and a digits-in-noise (DIN) test.Design: A retrospective sample was analysed using binomial logistic regressions, which determined the effects of pure tone thresholds or averages, speech recognition threshold (SRT), and age on the likelihood that participants had CHL or bilateral SNHL.Study sample: Data of 158 adults with bilateral SNHL (n = 122; PTA0.5-4 kHz > 25 dB HL bilaterally) or CHL (n = 36; air conduction PTA0.5-4 kHz > 25 dB HL and ≥20 dB air bone gap in the affected ears) were included. Results: The model which best discriminated between CHL and bilateral SNHL used low-frequency pure-tone average (PTA), diotic DIN SRT, and age with an area under the ROC curve of 0.98 and sensitivity and specificity of 97.2 and 93.4%, respectively. Conclusion: CHL can be accurately distinguished from SNHL using pure-tone air conduction audiometry and a diotic DIN. Restrictions on traditional audiological assessment due to COVID-19 require lower touch audiological care which reduces infection risk.
Objective: COVID-19 has been prohibitive to traditional audiological services. No- or low-touch audiological assessment outside a sound-booth precludes test batteries including bone conduction audiometry. This study investigated whether conductive hearing loss (CHL) can be differentiated from sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) using pure-tone air conduction audiometry and a digits-in-noise (DIN) test.Design: A retrospective sample was analysed using binomial logistic regressions, which determined the effects of pure tone thresholds or averages, speech recognition threshold (SRT), and age on the likelihood that participants had CHL or bilateral SNHL.Study sample: Data of 158 adults with bilateral SNHL (n = 122; PTA0.5-4 kHz > 25 dB HL bilaterally) or CHL (n = 36; air conduction PTA0.5-4 kHz > 25 dB HL and ≥20 dB air bone gap in the affected ears) were included. Results: The model which best discriminated between CHL and bilateral SNHL used low-frequency pure-tone average (PTA), diotic DIN SRT, and age with an area under the ROC curve of 0.98 and sensitivity and specificity of 97.2 and 93.4%, respectively. Conclusion:CHL can be accurately distinguished from SNHL using pure-tone air conduction audiometry and a diotic DIN. Restrictions on traditional audiological assessment due to COVID-19 require lower touch audiological care which reduces infection risk.
Authors: Jan-Willem A Wasmann; Cris P Lanting; Wendy J Huinck; Emmanuel A M Mylanus; Jeroen W M van der Laak; Paul J Govaerts; De Wet Swanepoel; David R Moore; Dennis L Barbour Journal: Ear Hear Date: 2021 Nov-Dec 01 Impact factor: 3.570