Sensitivity and specificity of three hearing screening protocols in the school setting

ABSTRACT Objective: to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of three hearing screening protocols: audiometry, tympanometry, and transient evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAE). Methods: a cross-sectional study comprising 70 schoolchildren aged 6-14 years old (9.9 ± 2). All participants underwent a complete audiological evaluation and screening procedures. Procedures were compared regarding sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. Results: sensitivity and specificity were, respectively, 64.71% and 66.04% for audiometry, 64.71% and 73.58% for tympanometry, and 66.67% and 78.85% for TEOAE. The positive and negative predictive values were 37.93% and 14.63% for audiometry, 44% and 13.33% for tympanometry, and 52.17% and 12.77% for TEOAE. Conclusions: in the school setting, TEOAE stands out from the two other screening protocols, in all measures regarding sensitivity, accuracy, and predictive values.