Objectives: This study’s objectives were to explore the potential of wideband acoustic immittance (WAI) as a diagnostic tool, examining its accuracy and efficiency in pediatric audiology. Methods: A narrative review of the contemporary literature was conducted, focusing on studies that assessed the use of WAI in diagnosing pediatric auditory conditions. Key variables such as diagnostic accuracy, efficiency, and clinical outcomes were considered. Results: This review highlighted that WAI offers a broader range of test frequencies and more comprehensive diagnostic information compared with traditional tympanometry. The studies indicated that WAI has the potential to improve diagnostic accuracy and efficiency in pediatric audiology. Distinct patterns of wideband absorbance were identified, enabling more detailed and accurate diagnostic evaluations. Conclusions: WAI shows substantial potential as a diagnostic tool in pediatric audiology, offering improvements in diagnostic accuracy and efficiency over traditional methods. While the initial findings are promising, further research is needed to fully understand its applicability and benefits across different pediatric populations. Future studies should aim to validate the clinical utility of WAI to ensure its widespread adoption in pediatric audiological assessments.

Background: Inner ear disorders, such as EH, commonly lead to hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction. EH is particularly prevalent in various inner ear diseases, including Meniere’s disease. We aimed to evaluate the effects of EH on WAI and OAEs.Objective: This study explores the potential of wideband acoustic immittance (WAI) and otoacoustic emissions (OAEs) for the early detection of changes in acoustic transmission associated with vasopressin-induced endolymphatic hydrops (EH) in a guinea pig model.Methods: We induced EH in guinea pigs via daily intraperitoneal injections of arginine vasopressin over 14 consecutive days. Auditory function was assessed using Auditory Brainstem Responses (ABR), while changes in sound energy transmission were measured using WAI and Distortion Products Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE).Results: Increased ABR thresholds in EH models were statistically significant (p < 0.05). After 14 days of EH induction, absorbance at 1 kHz significantly increased, whereas it significantly decreased at 4 kHz and 6 kHz (p < 0.05). DPOAE measures, both magnitude and phase, showed no significant changes (p > 0.05).Conclusion: WAI demonstrates greater sensitivity than DPOAE in the early detection of acoustic transmission alterations in EH models, suggesting its utility as a diagnostic tool in early-stage inner ear disorders.

Background: This pilot survey explored the views of clinicians and service users regarding the use of AI in a specific diagnostic scenario of OME. Methods: An online survey was conducted in collaboration with a Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement panel and advertised through research and clinical networks, social media platforms. Participants (N = 95; 21–72 years) included clinicians (59%) and service users (32%; patients and carers) with experience of OME. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analysed, comparing the views of the two groups across the two contexts. Results: Participants demonstrated a generally positive view of AI in OME diagnostics and in healthcare. Clinicians and service users reported comparable levels of trust and acceptance, although clinicians expressed greater concerns about flexibility and accuracy. Perceived key benefits included time and cost savings, while transparency and trust appeared as pivotal facilitators for acceptance. Frequent concerns centred on operational reliability and ethical considerations, with less emphasis on data confidentiality. Conclusions: The findings indicate broad support for AI applications both in OME diagnosis and more widely in healthcare, contingent on addressing concerns about accuracy, human oversight, and ethical use. Recommendations include focused communication strategies emphasising transparency and human oversight in the clinical decision-making processes.

Objective: To characterize age-related changes in wideband absorbance (WBA) among normal-hearing children aged 0–6 years through combined statistical and machine learning analyses, and to establish developmental reference patterns supporting pediatric middle-ear diagnostics. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 579 children (1158 ears) categorized into five age groups. All participants passed age-appropriate hearing screenings. WBA was measured under both ambient pressure (AP) and tympanometric peak pressure (TPP) conditions across 16 frequencies (226–8000 Hz). Repeated-measures analysis of variance examined the effects of age, ear side, and gender, while Random Forest classifiers and principal component analysis (PCA) explored the discriminative structure and feature importance of WBA data. Results: Neither gender nor ear side had a significantly effect on WBA patterns (p > 0.05). In constrast, Age significantly influenced WBA patterns (p < 0.001). Younger infants (< 6 months) exhibited dual-peaked “M-shaped” curves, whereas older children (3–6 years) showed single-peaked, inverted “U-shaped” profiles centered near 1600 Hz, reflecting progressive middle-ear maturation. The Random Forest model achieved a mean accuracy of 0.73 (balanced accuracy = 0.58), with the top-ranked predictors (AP_1000, and AP_793) emphasizing low-to-mid frequency absorbance and pressure-compensation effects as key age indicators. PCA with k-means clustering further revealed partially distinct groupings aligned with chronological age, supporting the developmental encoding of WBA responses. Conclusion: WBA demonstrates distinct, age-dependent acoustic characteristics that correspond to physiological maturation of the middle ear. These findings provide a quantitative reference for pediatric wideband acoustic immittance and highlight the potential of machine learning in delineating developmental auditory patterns.