Impedance audiometry: Is it a wise investment?

[摘要] In this issue of Pediatrics there is a report1 of a method by which abnormalities of the middle ear that affect mobility of the drum, and therefore hearing, may be assessed quantitatively. In brief, the technique, called tympanometry, measures the compliance of the ear drum and, by ascertaining compliance at different external pressures, estimates pressures in the middle ear. The value to pediatricians and their patients of a means by which ear drum compliance and middle ear pressure can be measured lies primarily in the diagnosis and management of serous otitis media. Clearly, the data presented in this report indicate that this technique will usually discriminate between ears with middle ear effusions and normal ears.

[学科分类] 儿科学