ARGENTINE AUDIOLOGICAL CONSENSUS AUDIOLOGICAL EVALUATION AND THERAPEUTIC GUIDANCE FOR ADULT PATIENTS WITH TINNITUS

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND AIM: The approach to patients with tinnitus in audiological practice represents a clinical challenge due to its variability in symptomatic expression. The present consensus is proposed with the aim of establishing a national reference framework for the evaluation and therapeutic orientation of patients with tinnitus that guarantees standardized treatment based on scientific evidence and clinical practice.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: The consensus followed the guidelines of the Delphi technique. Literature search was carried out during the years 2022-2024. The database consulted was mainly PubMed and the search engine used was Google Scholar.

RESULTS: A shared terminology is offered in the tinnitus field, a standard protocol of assessment is proposed and includes the identification of associated comorbidities (hearing loss, vestibular disorders, hyperacusis, craniomandibular malformations dysfunctions, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders), basic and complementary studies for the integral complete exploration assessment of the audio-vestibular system, a detailed anamnesis and a tinnitus measurement protocol (location, pitch matching, loudness matching, minimum masking level, residual inhibition, variables to be considered and graphic representation) and therapeutic guidelines are provided (tinnitus retraining therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, other approaches).

CONCLUSIONS: The present consensus represents a collective effort aimed at unifying and standardizing the audiological care of adult tinnitus patients in Argentina. A guideline document was developed to be used both in academic fields as in daily clinical practice, facilitating a more consistent and replicable approach focused on the needs of each individual in this population.