Diagnosis of hearing loss in infancy by electric response audiometry

The assessment of hearing by electric response audiometry (ERA) in 88 children under the age of 3 years was compared with the final assessment of hearing by other means made six months to four years later. A reliable decision was available in 78 patients. The ERA was correct in 64 patients (72.7%) and was incorrect in 14 (15.9%). In ten patients (11.4%), the reliability could not be determined. The incidence of errors was much greater in the 23 children who were given pentobarbital (39%) than it was in 55 not given this drug (9%). All of the errors associated with pentobarbital were the incorrect diagnosis of a loss of hearing. Three of the five errors in patients not given pentobarbital were the false diagnosis of a hearing loss in infants recovering from meningitis.