title: [Tympanometry at a health center].
abstract: We wanted to assess how much additional information could be gained from the results of tympanometry after first performing a clinical hearing examination at a mother and child clinic. 182 children aged from six months up to four years, had their hearing first examined clinically and afterwards by tympanometry. Pathological tympanograms were seen in 39% of the ears we examined, but most of them reverted to normal spontaneously at a later stage. There was little concordance between tympanometry and BOEL test in children aged six months and one year. Concordance between tympanometry and audiometry was fairly good in four-year old children. 27 children were referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist for evaluation, 11 of them as a result of tympanometry. Operative treatment was recommended for 17 of the children. In the anamnesis there was a connection between the parents perception of their child's hearing and the child having a cold and referral to an ear, nose and throat specialist. Tympanometry contributes to an early diagnosis of secretory otitis media, as well as being a means of helping parents understand the periodically poor middle ear function of their child.
authors.affiliation: Institutt for allmennmedisin, Oslo.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rasting
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lindbaek
mesh_terms: D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000592:standards; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000592:standards; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006311:Hearing Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006320:Hearing Tests / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D009664:Norway