Welch Allyn REF 29400 User Manual

Page 19

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Welch Allyn OAE Hearing Screener Directions for Use 705353 Rev E

18

Obstructions

Problem

Possible solutions

Cerumen, vernix, or other debris

— In the ear

— On the probe tip

— On the probe

IN THE EAR:

— Make sure that a properly trained technician examines

the ear canal for obstructions BEFORE inserting the
probe.

— Delay testing newborns until 11 hours after birth, if

possible.
(Note: 'Refer' results caused by vernix decrease
with each hour after birth.)

ON THE PROBE TIP:

— Remove, discard, and replace the probe tip before

each test (optimal).

— Remove, examine, and wipe probe tip clean; make

sure that both the inside and outside of the tip are
clean; replace cleaned probe tip.

ON THE PROBE:

Clean the probe carefully by following the instuctions in
the Directions for Use guide.

Temporary collapse of the ear canal

— Occurs often with "down ear" when infant

is lying on side.

— Collapse is normal because bones

haven't formed in ear yet.

♦ Manipulate the ear in a gentle, circular motion before

inserting the ear tip.

♦ Make sure to have a good probe fit.

♦ If infant is lying on side, reposition infant so that down ear

faces up; ask attending nurse or parent to keep infant in
this position as much as possible; wait a few hours before
testing "down" ear.

Cochlear Outer Hair Cell Loss

Hearing loss

Problems include communication difficulties in noisy environments and speech and language development
delays.

Refer on OAE and not on Pure Tone Audiometry

— Occurs most frequently in people exposed to high levels of sound energy (noise or music) or those treated

with ototoxic medications.

— OAE responses are often affected before evidence of hearing threshold change appears on a behavioral

hearing test.

False Positives

'Refer' criteria maximizes the detection of individuals with true hearing impairment.

A small percentage of people with normal hearing sometimes get a 'Refer' result.

These are people whose OAE responses fall below the 10th percentile for the normal population.

Such low OAE responses warrant additional testing.

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