Pure-tone audiometry using portable screening system in groups of students

Abstract

Background: according to WHO estimates, there are more than 466 million (over 6% of the population) with hearing impairments in the world. The limited availability of specialized audiological equipment, as well as the routing of such patients, complicates early diagnosis, which can negatively affect the results of treatment and rehabilitation. Devices (complexes) of automatic audiometry demonstrate the possibility of obtaining results comparable to the data of the pure tone audiogram. The study presents the results of approbation of the hardware and software complex «Colibri», which was developed to control and analyze the health parameters in students of general educational institutions, as well as educational institutions that carry out educational activities according to the adapted basic general educational programs. Objective: to determine the correlation of the thresholds of sound perception, identified by screening audiometry with the values of the pure tone audiometry in a group of normally hearing schoolchildren. Study design: a comparison was made of the behavioral thresholds of sound perception obtained using screening audiometry with the values of the pure tone audiometry threshold in 35 normally hearing students. Conclusion: further study of the technique is required to create a test protocol with the aim of possible use for identifying persons with possible hearing impairment. The use of such a system does not require the participation of a specialist - an audiologist, which makes it possible to carry out screening tests outside the hospital, subject to the technical (acoustic) requirements.