Vestibular Special Testing

Question 1

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Answer 1

caused by a dysfunction in the inner ear, cochlea or vestibulocochlear nerve (CN VIII)

Question 2

Major causes of Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Answer 2

ototoxicity (chronic use of antibiotics)
normal aging
TBI
exposure to loud noises/explosions
congenital dysfunction
acoustic neuroma
Meniere's disease

Question 3

Major complaints w/ Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Answer 3

soft sounds are diffult to hear
loud sounds are muffled
high pitched frequency sounds are inaudible

Question 4

Conduction hearing loss

Answer 4

occurs when the passage of sound is blocked in either the ear canal or the middle ear

Question 5

major causes of Conduction hearing loss

Answer 5

accumulation of ear wax
Otitis media (middle ear infection
Otosclerosis (abnormal bone growth in the middle ear)
Cholesteatoma (abnormal growth of tissue in the middle ear)

Question 6

major complaints w/ Conduction hearing loss

Answer 6

soft sounds are difficult to hear regardless of the pitch level

wound sounds may present muffled

Question 7

Weber’s test

Answer 7

evaluate the presence of sensorineural and/or bone conductive hearing loss by comparing the different in sound intensity b/w both ears

Question 8

Weber’s test procedure

Answer 8

A 256Hz or 512 Hz tuning fork is struck and placed on top of the head equidistant from the pt’s ears

The pt is asked to report in which ear the sound in heard louder

Question 9

Negative Weber’s test

Answer 9

sound is heard equally in both ears

Question 10

Positive Weber’s test

Answer 10

sound heard louder on one side

Question 11

If sound is heard louder on the affected side w/ Weber’s test…

Answer 11

conductive hearing loss

Question 12

if sound is heard louder on the unaffected side w/ Weber’s test…

Answer 12

sensorineural hearing loss in the affected ear

Question 13

Rinne’s Test

Answer 13

evaluate loss of hearing in one ear by comparing sounds transmitted by air conduction to those transmitted by bone conduction through the mastoid

Question 14

What should the Rinee’s test be accompanied w/?

Answer 14

Weber’s Test

Question 15

Rinne’s Test procedure

Answer 15

512 Hz tuning fork is struck and placed on the mastoid bone of the suspected side while asking the pt to report when the sound is no longer heard

once the pt can no longer hear the sound, the still vibrating tuning fork is quickly placed 1-2cm from the auditory canal

The pt is asked to report when the can’t hear the sound anymore

Question 16

Rinne’s Test negative

Answer 16

pt should be able to hear the tuning fork when held 1-2 cm outside of the ear after they can no longer hear it when held against the mastoid

Question 17

Rinne’s Test positive

Answer 17

pt can’t hear the tuning fork after is moved from the mastoid

Question 18

W/ Rinne’s Test, if the pt is not able to hear the tuning fork after it is moved from the mastoid to the outside of the ear, this indicates…

Answer 18

bone conductive hearing loss

Question 19

W/ Rinne’s Test, if the pt is able to hear the tuning fork outside of the ear longer than the mastoid, but reports that the sound has stopped before the tuning fork stops vibrating, this indicates

Answer 19

sensorineural hearing loss