Whispered voice test reveals decreased hearing in the left ear; which finding would be most consistent with conductive hearing loss?

• A. Sounds best heard in the left ear on Weber test
• B. Air conduction longer than bone conduction in the left ear on Rinne test
• C. Sound best heard in the right ear on Weber test
• D. Bone conduction longer than air conduction in the right ear

Answer: (A)

Understanding how Weber and Rinne tests differentiate types of hearing loss helps here. In conductive hearing loss, the Weber tuning fork sound localizes to the ear with the conductive problem. Since the left ear is affected, the sound would be heard best in the left ear during Weber testing. The whispered voice test already points to left-ear impairment, so this Weber finding fits perfectly.

For completeness, the Rinne test on the left would typically show bone conduction longer than air conduction (a negative Rinne), reflecting the conductive obstruction, rather than air conduction lasting longer than bone conduction. The other patterns would imply either the right ear is affected or a normal air-conduction pattern, which doesn’t match the left-sided conductive loss described here.