Automatic immittance audiometry on children with transtympanic ventilation tubes

The use of automatic immittance audiometers for detection of middle ear abnormalities in children is becoming a popular practice in pre-schools, headstart programs, and elementary schools. Oftentimes the screening is being performed by personnel who are not clinical audiologists and who do not routinely otoscopically examine the ear prior to testing. This report tells of a clinical case in which the use of automatic immittance audiometry on a child with transtympanic ventilation tubes resulted in the occlusion of one of the tubes. An explanation of the events causing the occlusion and a word of caution are given.