Creator

Ashley Stumpf

First Advisor

Meinke, Deanna K.

Date Created

5-2019

Abstract

Detection of the highest audible frequency of hearing is used to monitor patients undergoing chemotherapy for ototoxic effects of pharmaceuticals. The current study evaluated the feasibility of utilizing Creare’s (2016) wireless attenuated hearing test system (WAHTS) in two outpatient cancer treatment centers to administer automated hearing tests for the identification of the highest audible frequency. Twenty cancer patients being treated with carboplatin and cisplatin were recruited for hearing testing and eight untrained nurses were recruited to operate the WAHTS. Ambient noise measurements were taken in each treatment center before and after hearing testing and supported the validity of threshold measurements. Listener participants completed two automated hearing tests: conventional high-frequency audiometry typically used to identify the sensitive region for ototoxicity (SRO) and a newly proposed fixed-level frequency test (FLFT; Fausti et al., 1999; Rieke et al., 2017). The highest audible frequency (HAF) identified by each test method was compared using a 2-tailed Wilcoxon signed ranks test. The HAF identified by each hearing test method (automated high frequency audiometry [AHFA] vs. FLFT) was not significantly different from each other. The FLFT was completed much faster (24.78 minutes for the AHFA versus 2.4 minutes for the FLFT). Administering the FLFT during outpatient cancer treatment therapy appeared to be a promising test method to potentially overcome current barriers in ototoxicity monitoring. Future research should implement the WAHTS (Creare, 2016) technology in a more diverse assortment of chemotherapy treatment centers with a larger population of participants. Use of the FLFT and AHFA would need to be evaluated as part of a clinical research study that would implement a full ototoxicity monitoring program.

Extent

118 pages

Local Identifiers

StumpfCapstone19.pdf

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

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