Other Services
Brainstem Auditory Evoked Response (BAER)

At St. Rita's Medical Center, the Audiology department offers several outpatient services to help manage and determine the health of your ears and hearing. In particular, the brainstem auditory evoked response (BAER) is a test where a licensed audiologist measures the electrical activity of the brain in response to sound. Patients who have hearing loss in one ear or who have ringing (tinnitus), dizziness or facial numbness are often referred for this test.

What You Should Know
If your physician has prescribed BAER, you should arrive to St. Rita's approximately 30 minutes before your appointment and check in with Outpatient Registration. This area is located on the first floor of the Medical Center behind the Information Desk in the main lobby. From there you will be directed to Cardiopulmonary Services on the second floor. The test will take approximately one hour for adults.


Pediatric patients need to be deprived of sleep because the test is best performed in a sleeping state. Individual instructions will be sent directly to the patient from St. Rita's Audiology department.
For pediatric patients, the test should take about two hours, depending on how long it takes the child to fall asleep.

During the test electrodes, or wires, are applied behind each ear, at the top of the head and at the forehead. A clicking stimulus is directed through headphones into each ear individually. For pediatric patients, the BAER provides an assessment of how well the child can hear. In adults, the test evaluates how well the hearing signal goes from the ear to the brain. After the test is completed, a comprehensive report with the audiologists' impressions and recommendations will be sent to the referring physician.

A physician's order is required. Orders can be faxed to Cardiopulminary Services at (419) 226-9535 or sent to the test with you.

For More Information
Audiology Department:
(419)-226-9341

Central Scheduling:
(419) 226-9056
Map & Directions Map & Directions

 

Location and Hours:
St. Rita's Medical Center
Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Putnam County Ambulatory Care Center
Wednesday
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.