The nurse suspects that a patient has bone-conductive hearing loss. Which assessment technique should the nurse use to differentiate between bone conduction loss and air conduction loss?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Rinne test is performed to differentiate between bone conduction and air conduction loss. In this test, a tuning fork is placed on the mastoid process (bone conduction) and then moved in front of the ear (air conduction). The patient is asked to indicate when they no longer hear the sound. In a normal hearing person, the sound is louder when transmitted through air (positive Rinne test). In patients with conductive hearing loss (e.g. bone conduction loss), the sound is louder when heard through bone (negative Rinne test). The other options may be used to assess for hearing loss or related conditions, but do not specifically differentiate between bone and air conduction loss.

The Nurse Suspects That a Patient Has Bone-Conductive Hearing Loss