Diagnostic value of microtympanometry in primary care.

OBJECTIVE To determine the reliability, validity, and feasibility of a new hand held microtympanometer. DESIGN Comparison of microtympanometry by two independent observations of a general practitioner and a nurse, and against a validated reference instrument. SETTING Primary care health centre of a school for the deaf in the United States. SUBJECTS 111 schoolchildren receiving a regular check up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Tympanometry with the Grason Stadler 28, classified with a slightly modified Jerger's classification. RESULTS Interobserver reliability was 0.95 (Cohen's kappa). Results of microtympanometry were highly comparable with results of the reference instrument (likelihood ratio of positive results, 161.2). CONCLUSIONS The microtympanometer could be used in general practice: it is hand held, child friendly, easy to handle, and accurate.