these allow one to distinguish between conductive and sensorineural deafness.
one should use a 512Hz tuning fork with a flattened base.
the tuning fork should be struck against one's elbow or knee, and not against a bedside table or desk as this produces undesirable harmonics.
the tuning fork is first held with its acoustic axis in line with the external auditory meatus - the sound being heard via the process of air conduction. If the tuning fork is pressed firmly against the skull the note is transmitted directly to the cochlea by the process of bone conduction.
commonly used bedside tuning folk tests are: (1)
Rinne test
Weber test
other tuning fork tests include:(1)
Bing test
Schwabach test
Note:
bedside tests are unreliable screening tools for detection of hearing loss (2,3)
Rinne and Weber tests do not reliably predict the presence and type of hearing loss (2)
when there is suspicion of hearing loss, audiometry should be performed even if bedside tests are normal.(2)
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