Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR)
Introduction
The Ear-, Nose - & Throat (ENT) Doctor have referred you to the Audiology Department for a specialised hearing test.
What will happen at my appointment?
We may first take a short medical history from you and look in your ears to ensure that your ears are not blocked with wax or discharge.
We will then proceed to prepare you for the test. The test procedure is non-intrusive and will cause you no discomfort.
You will be required to lie on a bed and relax. The Audiologist will clean your skin with a wipe and scrub. Four electrodes are then placed on your head, one behind each ear and two on your forehead. An adhesive strip on the electrode places these electrodes on to your skin.
A set of inserts sponges are then placed in your ears and the lights are turned off to help you relax. You will hear clicking sounds through the inserts. You do not respond to these sounds, you just relax and the electrodes do all the recordings.
It is very important that you do not make any noise during the test and keep still. The Audiologist will tell you when the test has finished and you can go home.
We will analyse your results and write a report to the ENT doctor. The ENT will send you a follow up appointment and the results will be discussed with you in the ENT follow up appointment.
How long will my appointment take?
Approximately between 60 – 90 minutes. We aim to see you on time but occasionally clinics can be unavoidably delayed. We will keep you informed of any delay to your appointment.
How do I prepare for my appointment?
Before the appointment, please ensure your ears are free of wax. Wax can block ears and affect the results of your hearing test. If your ears are blocked with wax, please see you practice nurse or GP for wax removal prior to your appointment.
If you wear glasses, please bring them along with you.
If you are eligible for hospital transport, please contact us to arrange it for you.
If you need an interpreter, do contact us for this to be arranged. We cannot guarantee availability of interpreters for all languages, so please arrange this well in advance.
Please ensure your phone is switched off before this test to avoid interference with equipment, which can affect your test results.
You are welcome to bring a relative, close friend or carer with you to your appointment.
If you would prefer not to have a hearing assessment, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can offer this valuable appointment to someone else.
Can I cancel my appointment?
If you need to cancel your appointment, please call us as soon as possible. If you cancel your appointment more than two times, you will be discharged back to your GP and will need to be referred to our service again.
If you fail to attend this appointment, you will be discharged back to your GP’s care and will need a new referral in line with the Trust Policy.
Notes about your appointment
We are a teaching hospital so, on occasion, there may also be a student present in the appointment or a student supervised by an audiologist may see you. If you are not comfortable with this, please let us know when you check in for your appointment at the audiology reception desk.
We always try to see our patients at the time of their allocated appointment. Please ensure you arrive on time for your appointment.