Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Special considerations while measuring blood pressure01:28

Special considerations while measuring blood pressure

When assessing blood pressure (BP), healthcare professionals must consider various factors and potential unexpected outcomes to ensure accurate readings and provide proper patient care. Adhering to these guidelines is essential to achieving the most reliable results.
Monitoring Both Arms:
Monitoring BP in both arms during the initial assessment is advisable, as the systolic value may differ by five to ten mm Hg between arms. For subsequent BP assessments, use the arm with the higher reading.
Errors occurring during blood pressure monitoring01:25

Errors occurring during blood pressure monitoring

Blood pressure monitoring is a crucial clinical procedure in diagnosing and managing various cardiovascular conditions. Despite its significance, the accuracy of blood pressure measurements can be compromised by multiple factors, potentially leading to either falsely high or low readings. These inaccuracies are critical as they can significantly impact patient care. So, it is vital to understand these challenges deeply and adopt strategic approaches to minimize errors.
Several factors...
Equipments Used To Measure Blood Pressure01:30

Equipments Used To Measure Blood Pressure

Direct Method
This invasive approach involves cannulating a peripheral artery. During each cardiac contraction, pressure generates mechanical motion within the catheter, transmitted through rigid, fluid-filled tubing to a transducer. This transducer converts mechanical motion into electrical signals displayed as waveforms on a monitor. An automatic flushing system prevents blood backflow. Due to the potential risk of unexpected arterial blood loss, this method is primarily used in intensive...
Measurement of Blood Pressure01:17

Measurement of Blood Pressure

Assessing blood pressure is a standard procedure executed in virtually all medical environments. The method utilized today was established over a hundred years ago by an innovative Russian doctor, Dr. Nikolai Korotkoff. The soft ticking noise, known as Korotkoff sounds, heard while taking blood pressure readings results from turbulent blood flow within the vessels. The apparatus required for this procedure includes a sphygmomanometer, a blood pressure cuff attached to a gauge, and a stethoscope.
Assessing Body Temperature - Tympanic membrane01:14

Assessing Body Temperature - Tympanic membrane

Assessing tympanic membrane temperature involves using a tympanic membrane thermometer (TMT). Here is a step-by-step guide:
Step 1: Begin by practicing good hand hygiene to prevent the transmission of microorganisms.
Step 2: Turn on the thermometer and wait until the ready sign appears on the screen to ensure accurate measurement.
Step 3: Slide the probe cover in place to prevent cross-contamination.
Step 4: Instruct the patient to tilt their head to the side for comfort and check for cerumen...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The inconsistency and instability of Parkinson's disease motor subtypes.

Parkinsonism & related disorders·2021
Same author

Improving the promise of embedded pragmatic trials: Surmountable barriers encountered in an evaluation of home-based HPV self-sampling to increase cervical cancer screening in overdue women.

Contemporary clinical trials communications·2019
Same author

Trends in Clinical Breast Density Assessment From the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium.

Journal of the National Cancer Institute·2019
Same author

O<sub>2</sub> selective membranes based on a dextrin-nanosponge (NS) in a PVDF-HFP polymer matrix for Li-air cells.

Chemical communications (Cambridge, England)·2016
Same author

What determines resilience in patients with Parkinson's disease?

Parkinsonism & related disorders·2011
Same author

Transforming electrocortical mapping data into standardized common space.

Clinical EEG and neuroscience·2007

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses
14:05

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses

Published on: January 23, 2017

How accurate are bedside hearing tests?

D F Boatman1, D L Miglioretti, C Eberwein

  • 1Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA. dboatma@jhmi.edu

Neurology
|April 18, 2007
PubMed
Summary

This study evaluated five common bedside hearing tests in 107 adults, comparing them to the gold standard of pure-tone audiometry. The findings suggest that these tests have poor sensitivity but relatively good specificity. When combined with patient history, their accuracy improves. The authors propose that neurologists should reconsider their routine use and that further research is needed to determine their diagnostic value.

Keywords:
bedside hearing testsaudiometric evaluationneurological diagnosticshearing loss detection

Frequently Asked Questions

More Related Videos

An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners
07:52

An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners

Published on: March 13, 2026

Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
09:44

Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Published on: January 25, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 15, 2026

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses
14:05

Behavioral Assessment of Hearing in 2 to 4 Year-old Children: A Two-interval, Observer-based Procedure Using Conditioned Play-based Responses

Published on: January 23, 2017

An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners
07:52

An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners

Published on: March 13, 2026

Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss
09:44

Neuro-rehabilitation Approach for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Published on: January 25, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Clinical audiology
  • Neurological diagnostics
  • Sensory testing methodologies

Background:

Current diagnostic practices often rely on rapid bedside assessments to screen for hearing loss. Prior research has shown that pure-tone audiometry remains the gold standard for evaluating auditory function. However, the reliability of quick bedside tests in clinical settings remains unclear. No prior work had resolved the diagnostic accuracy of these tests when used by non-specialists. That uncertainty drove the need to compare bedside methods with established audiometric standards. This gap motivated a direct evaluation of commonly used bedside techniques. No prior work had resolved how well these tests detect hearing loss in adults. This gap motivated a direct evaluation of commonly used bedside techniques. This gap motivated a direct evaluation of commonly used bedside techniques.

Purpose Of The Study:

The goal was to assess the accuracy of five bedside hearing tests in detecting hearing loss. The specific problem is the lack of evidence on how well these tests perform in real-world clinical settings. The motivation stems from the need to guide neurologists in using reliable diagnostic tools. This study aimed to compare bedside tests with pure-tone audiometry. The motivation stems from the need to guide neurologists in using reliable diagnostic tools. The motivation stems from the need to guide neurologists in using reliable diagnostic tools. The motivation stems from the need to guide neurologists in using reliable diagnostic tools. The motivation stems from the need to guide neurologists in using reliable diagnostic tools.

Main Methods:

The study involved 107 adults who underwent pure-tone audiometry as the reference standard. Five commonly used bedside hearing tests were administered to each participant. The tests included whispered voice, tuning fork, and others. The diagnostic accuracy was measured using sensitivity and specificity metrics. The tests included whispered voice, tuning fork, and others. The tests included whispered voice, tuning fork, and others. The tests included whispered voice, tuning fork, and others. The tests included whispered voice, tuning fork, and others.

Main Results:

The bedside tests showed poor sensitivity, with values less than or equal to 0.60. Specificity was relatively good, with values greater than or equal to 0.74. Positive predictive values ranged from 0.24 to 1.0. Sensitivity improved when tests were combined with patient history. Positive predictive values ranged from 0.24 to 1.0. Positive predictive values ranged from 0.24 to 1.0. Positive predictive values ranged from 0.24 to 1.0. Positive predictive values ranged from 0.24 to 1.0.

Conclusions:

The authors suggest that bedside tests may not reliably detect hearing loss in adults. They propose that these tests have limited diagnostic utility when used alone. The authors suggest that combining tests with case history improves accuracy. They propose that neurologists should reconsider routine use of these tests. The authors suggest that these findings require further study. The authors suggest that these findings require further study. The authors suggest that these findings require further study. The authors suggest that these findings require further study.

The study found that these tests have poor sensitivity (< or =0.60) but relatively good specificity (> or =0.74).

Five tests were assessed, including whispered voice and tuning fork methods.

Sensitivity measures the ability to correctly identify individuals with hearing loss.

Combining tests with case history improved sensitivity for detecting hearing loss.

Positive predictive values ranged from 0.24 to 1.0, indicating variable diagnostic utility.

The authors propose that the routine use of these tests by neurologists requires further study.