Audiogram Review and STS Flashcards
6 cards from real CAOHC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Audiogram Review and STS flashcards as text
Which professional is qualified to perform the problem audiogram review under OSHA regulations?
Answer: An audiologist or physician
OSHA requires that problem audiograms be reviewed by an audiologist, otolaryngologist, or other qualified physician who can make clinical determinations about hearing status.
What does a flat audiometric configuration across all frequencies most likely indicate?
Answer: Conductive hearing loss or a middle ear disorder
A flat audiometric pattern with roughly equal loss across frequencies is more characteristic of conductive hearing loss or middle ear pathology rather than noise-induced hearing loss.
When comparing annual audiograms to baseline, which frequencies are included in the OSHA STS calculation?
Answer: 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz
The OSHA standard threshold shift calculation uses the average of threshold changes at 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hz.
What is the recommended quiet period before obtaining a baseline audiogram?
Answer: At least 14 hours away from workplace noise exposure
OSHA requires at least 14 hours of quiet before baseline audiometric testing to avoid temporary threshold shifts from affecting results.
An audiogram shows a 25 dB hearing level at 500 Hz and normal thresholds at all higher frequencies. What should the reviewer suspect?
Answer: A possible middle ear condition requiring medical referral
Isolated low-frequency hearing loss is not consistent with noise-induced hearing loss and suggests a possible middle ear condition that warrants medical evaluation.
What is the significance of testing at 8000 Hz in occupational audiometry?
Answer: It helps distinguish noise-induced hearing loss from presbycusis by showing recovery from the 4000 Hz notch
Testing at 8000 Hz is valuable because noise-induced hearing loss typically shows partial recovery at 8000 Hz after the characteristic notch at 4000 Hz, while presbycusis continues to decline.