Final answer:
The Rinne test uses a tuning fork to evaluate hearing loss by comparing bone conduction (mastoid process) to air conduction (next to the ear canal). The Weber test complements this by assessing the laterality of hearing loss with a tuning fork placed atop the skull. Hearing thresholds are measured in decibels across various frequencies and recorded in an audiogram.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Rinne test is a hearing test that differentiates between conductive and sensorineural hearing loss using a tuning fork. To administer the Rinne test, a vibrating tuning fork is first placed on the patient's mastoid process behind the ear, and the patient is asked to indicate when they can no longer hear the sound. Once the patient signals that the sound is no longer heard, the tuning fork is immediately moved next to the ear canal. This procedure allows sound to travel through the air to the ear. If the patient does not hear the sound through the ear, it suggests conductive hearing loss, as the temporal bone conducts the sound better than the ossicles of the middle ear.
In addition to the Rinne test, the Weber test also employs a tuning fork to assess hearing. The tuning fork is placed at the top of the patient's skull, and the sound reaches both ears through the bone. This test helps to determine the laterality of hearing loss.
Hearing tests are typically performed across a frequency range of 250 to 8000 Hz and results can be displayed in an audiogram. These tests measure the hearing threshold in decibels (dB) relative to a standard normal threshold.