RT Journal
A1 Chianese J, Hoberman A, Paradise JL, et al
T1 SPectral gradient acoustic reflectometry compared with tympanometry in diagnosing middle ear effusion in children aged 6 to 24 months
JF Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
JO Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
YR 2007
FD September 1
VO 161
IS 9
SP 884
OP 888
DO 10.1001/archpedi.161.9.884
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.161.9.884
AB Objectives 
    To evaluate the accuracy of spectral gradient acoustic reflectometry (SGAR) in children aged 6 to 24 months, and to compare SGAR with tympanometry.Design 
    Comparison of diagnostic tests.Setting 
    Inner-city primary care center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Participants 
    A total of 786 healthy children aged 6 to 24 months.Main Outcome Measures 
    Test characteristics of SGAR (sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values) and receiver operating characteristic curves from the SGAR and tympanometric data.Results 
    The SGAR results were available for 3096 otoscopic examinations in 647 children. Tympanometric results were available for 2854 otoscopic examinations in 597 children. Using the recommended SGAR pass or fail cutoff, 53% of the ears in which effusion was present would have been considered effusion free (sensitivity, 47%). Only 10% of the ears without effusion would have been considered to have effusion (specificity, 90%). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.78 for SGAR and 0.83 for tympanometry.Conclusion 
    Spectral gradient acoustic reflectometry is slightly less discerning than tympanometry in predicting the presence or absence of middle ear effusion in children younger than 2 years.