London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
View report page
Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Haringey 1970
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Haringey]
This page requires JavaScript
Audiometry
Audiometric screening is carried out twice in infants' schools — in the first and last year; once in junior
schools and once in secondary schools — in the first year. The standard for passing screening tests is set purposely
high, and a high proportion of those who fail are found to respond to simple corrective measures. The percentage
of children who failed in "special" tests continued to be high because these children had either been referred
especially because deafness was suspected or were already under treatment.
We are attempting to co-operate closely with family doctors in the investigation of hearing loss following
acute ear infection. Audiometry will be carried out for any child referred by his family doctor, and the
result will be sent to the doctor, so that he may carry out any further investigations which he considers
necessary, unless he specifically asks for these investigations to be carried out at the Audiology Unit.
The tables below give the numbers and results of audiometry tests during 1970:— Audiometer Tests — Routine
| Age Group | 1st Tests sweep | Re-test | Failures | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| both ears | one ear | Total | %of Column 1 | ||||
| right | left | ||||||
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | |
| Up to 7 years | 6,360 | 87 | 277 | 99 | 103 | 479 | 7.5% |
| Intermediate | 3,832 | 141 | 111 | 48 | 65 | 224 | 5.8% |
| Leavers | 3,129 | 72 | 69 | 39 | 43 | 151 | 4.8% |
| TOTALS | 13,321 | 300 | 457 | 186 | 211 | 854 | 6.4% |
Audiometer Tests — Specials
| Age | 1st Tests | Re-Tests | Failures | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| both ears | one ear | Total | % of Column 1 | ||||
| right | left | ||||||
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) | (6) | (7) | |
| Under 5 | 21 | 2 | 11 | - | 1 | 12 | 57.1% |
| 5 | 40 | 7 | 16 | 4 | 7 | 27 | 67.5% |
| 6 | 43 | 22 | 16 | 9 | 6 | 31 | 72.1% |
| 7 | 38 | 16 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 31 | 81.5% |
| 8 | 23 | 8 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 60.8% |
| 9 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 11 | 68.7% |
| 10 | 20 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 80% |
| 11 | 28 | 10 | 5 | 9 | 4 | 18 | 64.3% |
| 12 | 17 | 6 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 76.5% |
| 13 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 70% |
| 14 | 11 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | 3 | 27.3% |
| Over 14 | 24 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 29.2% |
| TOTALS | 291 | 101 | 110 | 45 | 35 | 190 | 65.3% |
Vision Screening
Vision screening by the Keystone apparatus continues to be carried out in junior and secondary schools. In
infants' schools, vision testing is carried out by the school nurse at periodic medical inspections, while the
orthoptists carry out screening procedures for the discovery of latent squints. We have not yet been able
to achieve our ideal of vision testing every second year of school life.
The following report has been supplied jointly by a senior technician and an orthoptist: —
"Screening of vision is carried out on a machine called a Keystone, by means of which a very quick and
accurate test can be conducted in a confined space — a great advantage in the schools.
The test consists of Depth and Perception, Distant and Near Vision, Distant and Near Muscle Balance, and
Colour Blindness.
The age groups tested on the machine are 9 — 10 years, 11 — 12 years, and 15 — 16 years. The method was
tried out on children in the younger age groups, but was found not to be practical or time saving for the
orthoptist.
The children who fail are referred to the orthoptist, who recommends further investigation or sees the children
concerned again at a later date.
79