Can smartphone vibration provide a valid alternative to tuning forks for use on the ENT ward round?
J Laryngol Otol
; 133(3): 245-247, 2019 Mar.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30983564
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
All patients undergoing tympanomastoid surgery should be assessed post-operatively for a 'dead ear'; however, tuning forks are frequently inaccessible.OBJECTIVE:
To demonstrate that smartphone-based vibration applications provide equivalent accuracy to tuning forks when performing Weber's test.METHODS:
Data were collected on lay participants with no underlying hearing loss. Earplugs were used to simulate conductive hearing loss. Both the right and left ears were tested with the iBrateMe vibration application on an iPhone and using a 512 Hz tuning fork.RESULTS:
Occluding the left ear, the tuning fork lateralised to the left in 18 out of 20 cases. In 20 out of 20 cases, sound lateralised to the left with the iPhone (chi-square test, p = 0.147). Occluding the right ear, the tuning fork lateralised to the right in 19 out of 20 cases. In 19 out of 20 cases, sound lateralised to the right with the iPhone (chi-square test, p > 0.999).CONCLUSION:
Smartphone-based vibration applications represent a viable, more accessible alternative to tuning forks when assessing for conductive hearing loss. They can therefore be utilised on the ward round, in patients following tympanomastoid surgery, for example.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Vibration
/
Smartphone
/
Hearing Tests
Type of study:
Diagnostic_studies
Limits:
Humans
Language:
En
Journal:
J Laryngol Otol
Journal subject:
OTORRINOLARINGOLOGIA
Year:
2019
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United kingdom