Diagnosis of hearing loss in infancy by electric response audiometry

A. L. Hume and B. R. Cant

The assessment of hearing by electric response audiometry (ERA) in 88 children under the age of 3 years was compared with the final assessment of hearing by other means made six months to four years later. A reliable decision was available in 78 patients. The ERA was correct in 64 patients (72.7%) and was incorrect in 14 (15.9%). In ten patients (11.4%), the reliability could not be determined. The incidence of errors was much greater in the 23 children who were given pentobarbital (39%) than it was in 55 not given this drug (9%). All of the errors associated with pentobarbital were the incorrect diagnosis of a loss of hearing. Three of the five errors in patients not given pentobarbital were the false diagnosis of a hearing loss in infants recovering from meningitis.