Sound Ear Check (SEC) in Hearing Diagnostics in Young Children Undergoing Tympanostomy Tube Insertion

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating the Sound Ear Check (SEC), an automated, tablet-based hearing test that uses common non-speech sounds and pictures to assess hearing in children aged 3 to 10 years who are otherwise healthy but referred for tympanostomy tube insertion. The study focuses on comparing hearing test results before surgery, when middle ear fluid is present, and one month after surgery, when the middle ear is dry with a ventilation tube. The purpose is to understand how SEC results relate to middle ear conditions and quality of life in children with otitis media. Participants will undergo the SEC hearing test using normal and antiphasic sounds before their tympanostomy tube insertion (TTI) surgery. The test will be repeated one month after surgery during a control visit. Middle ear fluid found during surgery will be classified as serous, mucous, or purulent. Tympanometry, which measures middle ear function, will be performed before surgery and classified using the Jerger classification. Medical history and ear-related quality of life will be recorded through interviews and the Otitis Media 6 (OM-6) questionnaire, collected at both the beginning of the study and the one month follow-up. Throughout the study, children will be assessed for cooperation during tympanometry and SEC testing. Data collection includes hospital records, interviews, and web-based questionnaires. The main measurement is the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) from the SEC test at 1 to 2 months post-surgery. The OM-6 questionnaire will also be used to evaluate quality of life changes related to ear health. Participants' involvement lasts from before the TTI operation through the one month control visit, with all assessments done during these visits.

Sound Ear Check (SEC) in Hearing Diagnostics in Young Children