Accuracy of auditory brainstem evoked response with hearing level unknown.

We reported a comparison of auditory brainstem response (ABR)-estimated hearing levels with hearing levels by pure-tone audiogram for 84 ears of 42 children. Their average age was 34 months at the time of ABR and 73 months for the audiogram. Thus, all of these children were managed clinically on the basis of their ABR results. The ABR accurately predicted the pure-tone average (PTA) in 76% and was in error by no more than about +/- 10-12 dB in another 18%.