Air Caloric Test Research Articles

Air Caloric Test by Thermoelectric Air Stimulator

Air Caloric Test by Thermoelectric Air Stimulator

Air caloric test: irrigation technique.

The technique of using air to perform the caloric test is discussed. Greater temperature differences and larger volumes of air are needed to achieve stimulations equal to those caused by water irrigations. Special consideration must be given to the design and operation of air irrigation equipment. The effects of irrigating a wet canal and of misdirecting the air jet are discussed. A new air irrigation apparatus is described.

THE AIR CALORIC TEST WITH SPECIAL REFERENCES TO PARAMETRIC STUDY

The authors performed the air caloric test using the air caloric stimulator NCA-100 (ICS) under various conditions, and determined the optimum conditions of 24°C, 50°C, 60 seconds and 6 litters/min. for air irrigation without causing discomfort to patients during a stimulation. This air caloric test was applied to 15 normal subjects, and was evaluated by measuring nystagmic responses with respect to duration, total number of beats and maximum eye-speed of the slow-nystagmus-phase. We found the duration of the air caloric nystagmus to be one of the most reliable parameters. No significant differences were noted between air caloric and water caloric responses (30°C, 44°C, 50 ml., 20 sec.). Considering our data obtinaed from normal subjects, the air caloric test is reliable, convenient and applicable. However, for ., patient with inflammatory middle ear paradoxical caloric response was recorded by air calorization.