Assessment of an implementation of a narrow band, neonatal otoacoustic emission screening method.
OBJECTIVE
To validate a narrow band method for the detection of transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs) in neonates.


METHODS
A method for the assessment of TEOAEs was implemented. The method was based upon assessing the estimated signal to noise ratio of a narrow band of TEOAEs from 1.6 kHz to 2.8 kHz. This method was tested against a commercially available broad band TEOAE test, the Otodynamics ILO88 in quickscreen mode. Trials were performed on 162 ears from a group of normal neonates aged from 3 to 6 wk.


RESULTS
The sensitivity of the method was 100% and its specificity was 92%, against the ILO88 test when looking for the absence of TEOAEs. When the ILO88 test was limited in time so that the number of undetected TEOAEs from both tests were similar, the narrow band test took 40% less time than the ILO88 test.


CONCLUSIONS
The narrow band TEOAE detection method, as implemented here, did not miss any neonate ears without TEOAEs. However, the narrow band test did not detect TEOAEs in 8% of the group in which TEOAEs were detected by the ILO88. With a two-stage screening test and a 0.6% incidence of sensorineural hearing loss, it is predicted that 1.9% of neonates with TEOAEs would be misclassified, by the narrow band test. (It is predicted that the ILO88 quickscreen test would misclassify 1.1% under the same conditions.) The test is faster and easier to perform than the broad band ILO88 test.
Brass
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Institute of Laryngology and Otology, London, United Kingdom.
Watkins
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P
Kemp
D T
DT
D007758:Ear, Inner; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015997:Neonatal Screening