OAE
Medical abbreviation · Ophthalmology & ENT
| Stands for | Otoacoustic emissions |
|---|---|
| Categories | Medical |
OAE stands for Otoacoustic emissions, an ophthalmology & ENT abbreviation.
Faint sounds produced by healthy outer hair cells of the cochlea in response to sound, recorded with a small probe in the ear canal. Present emissions indicate normal cochlear function, making the test a quick, painless newborn hearing screen.
Example: Newborn hearing screen: OAE pass right, refer left; rescreen in 2 weeks.
Usage notes
David Kemp discovered otoacoustic emissions in 1978. Middle ear fluid or debris can block emissions and cause a false "refer" result. Because OAEs do not test the auditory nerve, babies in intensive care are screened with ABR to detect auditory neuropathy. Results are reported as pass or refer.
Related abbreviations
More ophthalmology & ENT abbreviations
- NAION – Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy
- NIHL – Noise-induced hearing loss
- NLP – No light perception
- NPC – Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
- NPDR – Nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy
- NTG – Normal-tension glaucoma
- OCT – Optical coherence tomography
- OE – Otitis externa
- OM – Otitis media
- OME – Otitis media with effusion
- PACG – Primary angle-closure glaucoma
- PCO – Posterior capsule opacification
See all 74 ophthalmology & ENT abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.