A 44-year-old woman with chronic tinnitus scores 62 on the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI). How is her tinnitus handicap graded?

• A Mild handicap
• B Moderate handicap
• C Catastrophic handicap
• D Severe handicap ✓

Explanation

The THI grades handicap as 0 to 16 slight, 18 to 36 mild, 38 to 56 moderate, 58 to 76 severe, and 78 to 100 catastrophic. A score of 62 therefore falls in the severe category. The commonest error is choosing moderate, which applies only up to 56, so the boundary values must be memorised exactly. The THI is widely used to baseline severity and monitor response to therapy such as TRT or counselling.

Reference: Cummings Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, 7th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.