A 6-year-old child with bilateral severe sensorineural hearing loss (pure-tone average 85 dB HL) and 40% open-set sentence recognition with hearing aids is evaluated for cochlear implantation. According to current guidelines, this child is:

• A Not a candidate as hearing loss is not profound
• B A candidate only for unilateral implantation
• C Better served by auditory brainstem implant
• D A candidate for bilateral cochlear implantation ✓

Explanation

Current criteria allow cochlear implantation in children with severe-to-profound SNHL (71-90 dB HL) who demonstrate limited benefit from hearing aids. Bilateral implantation is now standard in children for binaural hearing development. Auditory brainstem implants are reserved for neurofibromatosis type 2 with non-functional cochlear nerves, not for this scenario.

Reference: Cummings Otolaryngology, 7th ed.

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Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.