The First Implantable Middle Ear Transducer (MET) Cases in the U.S: The 59MDW Experience
1Lt Catherine Wynn and Ben Sierra, Au.D
The first fully implantable MET device surgery was performed at the 59MDW in Oct 2005. This presentation will review and discuss the experiences of the 59 MDW Audiology Staff with the Otologics fully implantable MET. The speakers will discuss qualification criteria, selection process, surgical outcomes and post surgical activation outcomes. The closing statements will focus on recommendations and lessons learned.
Binaural Hearing Benefits for Adults Wearing Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants in Opposite Ears
1Lt April Myers, Capt Brandon Tourtillott, Ben Sierra, Au.D.
This is a follow-on/continuation from a similar subject presentation done at MASC 2005. Published reports regarding benefit provided by bimodal use of a cochlear implant have been mixed. Some research on the subject has concluded that performance is improved with bimodal hearing though the processing is different. Many of our Cochlear Implant Recipients stopped wearing amplification on the opposite ear following Cochlear Implant Surgery. Recent articles by Ching, et.al., indicate that by using a loudness matching technique bimodal performance improvement and patient satisfaction can be attained. We will report findings on eight of our patients after implementing the Ching Loudness Balance Technique. Our report will also discuss data obtained using a standard cochlear implant test battery as well as subjective findings regarding our patients’ experiences.
OAEs versus Automated ABR in Newborn Hearing Detection: One Hospital‘s Perspective
Capt David Eisenach
The newborn hearing program at Keesler Medical Center, Mississippi, has used both an OAE and an Automated ABR system to access the hearing of newborns in the last year. This talk focuses on the advantages and disadvantages seen with the use of these systems, including cost, referral rates, tester error, ease of use, and testing time.
Hearing Conservation Subject Matter Expert: Roles and Responsibilities
Maj Joe Narrigan, Maj Jenny Rainwater, and Maj Rob Pluta
Exposure to noise is the single most prevalent occupational hazard faced by today’s Airmen. The AF Hearing Conservation Data Registry reports 185,000 active duty, air reserve component members and civilian workers are enrolled in the Air Force Hearing Conservation Program (HCP). Mere compliance to standards does not guarantee program success. Successful occupational health programs are built around a team of medical, safety and line professionals committed to ensuring worker safety and health through comprehensive program planning and execution that includes internal audit processes. The audit process allows program managers to identify program weaknesses and target improvement by using available HC data. The HC SME should assist MAJCOM program mangers by facilitating HC reports and consulting on HC issues.
Including Sentence Testing as Part of the Audiology Test Battery
1Lt Malisha Patel and 1Lt Matthew Williams
Audiologists have traditionally used monosyllabic words to test word recognition in a quiet setting. This can be useful in the clinic because it provides additional information about the person’s hearing loss when compared to their pure tone average (PTA). However the everyday listening environment is not a quiet, controlled setting. In addition, conversational speech is usually in sentence form rather than single words. Therefore sentence testing may provide a more realistic measure of a person’s ability to understand speech in noise. Our research is focusing on the effectiveness and efficiency of adding a sentence test to the clinical audiology test battery and what additional information it may provide.
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The Perception and Attitude of Hearing Conservation Programs
1Lt Courtney Dobbs
The perception and attitude of hearing conservation programs in military, according to graduate level audiology students, will be examined. Graduate level audiology students will be sent a survey that investigates their perception of the hearing conservation program effectiveness, if they think it works and if the military is adequate in protecting the hearing of its members. This survey will also look at the general knowledge and perceptions that our future audiologists hold regarding hearing conservation in general. Are students gaining enough knowledge of hearing conservation in school? Do they have enough information to form an opinion regarding hearing conservation in general and in regards to our very noisy military world? The results of this survey will then be used to contrast actual data regarding hearing conservation within the military
DOEHRS-HC Data Repository: USAF Data
Maj Rob Pluta
Nearly 125,000 audiograms from Air Force installations have been exported into the DOEHRS Data Repository (DOEHRS–DR) for the 2005 calendar year. Various trends are observations will be made regarding this large amount of data.
Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy Program
Capt Melissa Salzer
The Wilford Hall Vestibular Rehab Therapy Program began in September of 2005, and is the first one of its kind in the Air Force. The presentation will cover candidacy and protocols for vestibular rehab as they have been implemented at Wilford Hall. Additionally, several case studies will be presented to illustrate the efficacy of the treatment and patient outcome measures will be described, as well as plans to improve the program in the future.
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