Use of tympanometry in an airline medical service.

Tympanometry is a procedure in otologic medicine which enables the examiner to objectively evaluate the mobility and patency of the eardrum, the functional condition of the middle ear, and to ascertain the ventilation capability of the Eustachian tube. It does this by varying the air pressure in the closed ear canal, emitting a low-frequency sound concurrently, and measuring the compliance or mobility of the eardrum on a graph. It has been found to be a very useful adjunct in the evaluation and management of the otological problems in a commercial air carrier.