Question
The ENT in our office would like to know the reason why 6000Hz is never tested for bone conduction.
Answer
There are transducer limitations above 4000 Hz that reduce the validity of bone conduction testing at higher frequencies. Please refer to the below references and recommendations.
Lightfoot, G.R., & Hughes, J.B. (1993). Bone conduction errors at high frequencies: Implications for clinical and medico-legal implications. J Laryngol Otol 107(4):305-308.
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2005). Guidelines for Manual Pure-Tone Threshold Audiometry [Guidelines]. Available from www.asha.org/policy.
British Society of Audiology. (2004). Recommended procedure: Pure tone air and bone conduction threshold audiometry with and without masking and determination of uncomfortable loudness levels. Available from www.thebsa.org.uk/docs/RecPro/PTA.pdf.
Wendy Crumley has been involved in newborn hearing screening since June of 1996 following up with babies who referred their newborn screening. In 1997, with the inception of the Sounds of Texas Project Wendy implemented Universal Infant Hearing Screening Programs in hospitals within the state of Texas as well as out of state. She educated pediatric staff, nursing staff, parent education coordinators, and designated infant hearing screeners regarding the importance of infant hearing screening and early identification of hearing loss, developed site specific daily and follow-up protocol, and trained designated infant hearing screeners using otoacoustic emissions and screening auditory brainstem response technologies. She facilitated communication among the Sounds of Texas Project, the hospital, the local Early Childhood Intervention Agency (ECI), the local Department of Health Agency, and the area audiological clinic.
During this same year after completing her Masters in Audiology, she worked at University of Texas Dallas/Callier Center where she performed infant diagnostic audiological evaluations, that included auditory brainstem response testing via air and bone conduction using click and tone burst stimuli, otoacoustic emissions, behavioral testing using behavioral observation and visual reinforcement conditioning, and hearing aid fittings.