If an audiologist does not account for the real-ear-to-coupler difference (RECD) during a hearing-aid fitting of a six month old, the fitting will most likely provide

If an audiologist does not account for the real-ear-to-coupler difference (RECD) during a hearing-aid fitting of a six month old, the fitting will most likely provide

• A. Overamplification
• B. Underamplification
• C. Adequate amplification
• D. Inadequate amounts of noise suppression

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that the real-ear to coupler difference (RECD) shows how much the actual ear canal and middle-ear system changes the sound compared with a standard 2cc coupler. In infants, the ear canal is very small, and the real-ear sound levels for a given hearing-aid setting tend to be higher than what a coupler measurement would predict. If you don’t account for RECD, you base the fitting on the coupler target, which underestimates what the ear will actually receive. As a result, the infant ends up getting more amplification in the real ear than intended, leading to overamplification. This can be uncomfortable and less tolerable for a six-month-old.

The main idea here is that the real-ear to coupler difference (RECD) shows how much the actual ear canal and middle-ear system changes the sound compared with a standard 2cc coupler. In infants, the ear canal is very small, and the real-ear sound levels for a given hearing-aid setting tend to be higher than what a coupler measurement would predict. If you don’t account for RECD, you base the fitting on the coupler target, which underestimates what the ear will actually receive. As a result, the infant ends up getting more amplification in the real ear than intended, leading to overamplification. This can be uncomfortable and less tolerable for a six-month-old.