A patient with bilateral severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss who has pure-tone thresholds of 95 dB HL at 500 Hz and 100 dB HL at 2000 Hz gets negligible benefit from hearing aids. The best candidacy criterion that most specifically determines cochlear implant eligibility in adults (as per current guidelines) is:
- A Word recognition score ≤50% in the ear to be implanted under best-aided conditions ✓
- B Pure-tone average >70 dB HL unaided
- C Absence of any residual hearing in the high frequencies
- D Duration of deafness more than 5 years
Correct answer: A. Word recognition score ≤50% in the ear to be implanted under best-aided conditions
Explanation
Current FDA/international cochlear implant candidacy criteria for adults require aided word recognition score ≤50% (sentences in quiet) in the ear to be implanted and ≤60% in the contralateral ear or binaurally. The threshold criterion alone is insufficient; functional aided performance is the key determinant. Duration of deafness and absence of residual hearing are prognostic factors, not entry criteria.
Reference: Dhingra Diseases of Ear, Nose and Throat, 7th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.