Tympanometric norms for Chinese schoolchildren

Abstract

Current tympanometric norms have acknowledged the relevance of age as an influencing factor. However, little attention has been afforded to other potentialities such as the non-pathological effects of gender, ear asymmetry, and racial heritage. This study aimed to examine normative tympanometric findings in a large sample of Chinese schoolchildren. Using a Madsen 901 Middle Ear Analyzer, data was collected from 269 children (538 ears), ranging in age from 6.2 12.7 years (mean = 9.4 years, SD = 1.7), in Jiangsu province. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the parameters of equivalent ear canal volume (chi = 1.03, SD = 0.25, 90% = 0.68 1.46), peak compensated static acoustic admittance (chi = 0.58, SD = 0.34, 90%=0.26 1.13), tympanometric width (chi = 112, SD = 36, 90% = 62-156), and peak pressure (chi = -25, SD = 30, 90% = -85 -/+ 10). Statistically significant ear asymmetry and grade/age effects were established, although differences found were minor. In comparison with past studies in Caucasian paediatric populations, the Chinese normative data displayed minimal disparities.

Pure-tone auditory threshold in school children

“…The ECV increases from about 1.06-1.18 cm 3 during the observed period of 3 years. Smaller ECV were reported by [19]. They found an ECV of 0.97 cm 3 in Chinese school children at the first grade and 1.09 cm 3 at the fourth grade.…”

Test-Retest Reliability of the Components of Multi-Frequency Tympanometry

“…Thus, F45 and ΔG are more clinically reliable in identifying middle ear disorders than the RF. It has also been reported in the literature that components of multi-frequency tympanometry does not vary across gender on performing sweep-frequency tympanometry [16,17] . The results of the present study confirm that there was no effect of gender on the reliability of multi-frequency and multi-component tympanometry.…”

Accurate tympanometric criteria for Chinese schoolchildren

“…The present study of tympanometric criteria for Chinese schoolchildren is an extension of the work of Li et al [14] who suggested that the pass/fail criteria commonly employed for Western populations in school-aged children might not be appropriate when applied to their Chinese counterparts. Shahnaz and Davies [12] derived a similar conclusion in their study of Chinese young adults.…”

“…Li et al recommended that future studies compare the accuracy and efficiency of Chinese and Caucasian pass/fail criteria against a gold standard OME validation technique, such as pneumatic otoscopy. The present study, as an extension of Li et al's [14] research, aimed to provide normative tympanometric data for a large group of Chinese schoolchildren (isolating gender, ear and age of subject), in order to derive a population-specific pass/fail criterion. This criterion was assessed against the gold standard of pneumatic otoscopy and compared with the test performance of Caucasian [4] and Chinese adult [12] criteria.…”

“…Li et al [14] investigated tympanometric norms in school-aged Chinese children. The authors, responding to an absence of normative values for tympanometric testing in Chinese pediatric populations, obtained normative data (for the four main tympanometric parameters) from a sample of 269 Chinese schoolchildren.…”