Patient History

Age:                83

Gender:          M

This patient was well known to the audiology department, and well loved.  He was a sweet, gentle man with a touch of a Scottish accent, a twinkle in his eye, and a kind word to everyone.  He was a long-time hearing aid user, who always came to the clinic unaccompanied, but always requested that the audiologist write a note with the findings, as he realized that his memory was poor and he would not be able to recount events to his wife otherwise.

He was a walk-in patient seen initially by the audiology assistant, complaining that his hearing aids were feeding back.  The assistant’s otoscopic screening indicated the need for him to be seen by an audiologist, and he was worked into the audiologist’s schedule over the approaching noon hour.

Otoscopy

Yellow color debris was noted in the left ear canal, and on the left hearing aid.

• Of course, proper infection control procedures mean that you should not ask a patient to hand you a hearing aid, placing it directly in your (ungloved) hand. This case illustrates why.  What are the proper infection control methods to receive the hearing aid and how do you disinfect it so that you can handle it?