Skip to content
American Academy of Audiology
  • PRACTICE RESOURCES
    • Practice Guidelines and Standards
    • Coding
    • Medicare/Medicaid
    • Compliance
  • EDUCATION & EVENTS
    • Event Calendar
    • Continuing Education
    • Online Learning and Certificate Programs
    • Research Grants and Scholarships
    • Faculty and Preceptor Resources
  • AAA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
    • Attend
    • Program and Events
    • Exhibit Hall
    • Exhibit and Sponsorship Opportunities
    • About
  • NEWS & PUBLICATIONS
    • News
    • Audiology Today
    • Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
    • Advertising
    • Permissions and Reprints
    • Press and Media Information
  • CAREERS
    • Career Center
    • Certification
    • Become an Audiologist
    • Doctoral Programs in Audiology
    • Recruiting
    • New Professional Toolkit
  • ADVOCACY
    • Legislative and Regulatory Activities
      • State Affairs
      • Federal Affairs
    • Legislative Action Center
    • Government Relations News
  • CONSUMERS
    • What Is an Audiologist
    • Hearing and Balance Symptoms and Conditions
    • Managing Hearing Loss
    • Seniors and Hearing Loss
    • Children and Hearing Loss
    • OTC Hearing Aid
  • ABOUT THE ACADEMY
    • Leadership
    • Committees and Task Forces
    • Get Involved
    • Honors and Awards
    • Sponsorships and Corporate Partners
    • Contact Us
  • MEMBERSHIP
    • Benefits
    • Ethics
    • Member Directory
    • Membership Renewals
FacebookTwitterLinkedinYoutubeInstagram
  • Students
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • Renew
American Academy of Audiology
Member Login
  • PRACTICE RESOURCES
    • Practice Guidelines and Standards
    • Coding
    • Medicare/Medicaid
    • Compliance
  • EDUCATION & EVENTS
    • Event Calendar
    • Continuing Education
    • Online Learning and Certificate Programs
    • Research Grants and Scholarships
    • Faculty and Preceptor Resources
  • AAA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
    • Attend
    • Program and Events
    • Exhibit Hall
    • Exhibit and Sponsorship Opportunities
    • About
  • NEWS & PUBLICATIONS
    • News
    • Audiology Today
    • Journal of the American Academy of Audiology
    • Advertising
    • Permissions and Reprints
    • Press and Media Information
  • CAREERS
    • Career Center
    • Certification
    • Become an Audiologist
    • Doctoral Programs in Audiology
    • Recruiting
    • New Professional Toolkit
  • ADVOCACY
    • Legislative and Regulatory Activities
      • State Affairs
      • Federal Affairs
    • Legislative Action Center
    • Government Relations News
  • CONSUMERS
    • What Is an Audiologist
    • Hearing and Balance Symptoms and Conditions
    • Managing Hearing Loss
    • Seniors and Hearing Loss
    • Children and Hearing Loss
    • OTC Hearing Aid
  • ABOUT THE ACADEMY
    • Leadership
    • Committees and Task Forces
    • Get Involved
    • Honors and Awards
    • Sponsorships and Corporate Partners
    • Contact Us
  • MEMBERSHIP
    • Benefits
    • Ethics
    • Member Directory
    • Membership Renewals
May 19, 2020

Vestibular Testing Safety: COVID-19 and Beyond

  • Audiology in the News

All recommendations are made with the best current information and in the context of a multifaceted safety program. When a variety of safety measures are put in place our chance of protecting our patients and colleagues increases.

All safety recommendations assume that

  • Staff and patients are screened (with a questionnaire at a minimum) and individuals who do not pass the screening do not report to the clinic.
  • All individuals use excellent hygiene that includes frequent hand washing (while refraining from touching your face/eyes/nose/mouth).
  • All individuals maintain social distancing as much as possible in the context of a clinic appointment.
  • All individuals wear masks.

Vestibular testing poses a unique set of safety challenges given that individuals scheduled for this testing and experiencing the tests may experience emesis (vomiting). This would include providing treatment for BPPV as well. Emesis produces aerosolized materials in the environment and will likely motivate the individual to remove their mask. Several steps should be considered when providing vestibular evaluations.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

  • Wear scrubs that can be removed when you arrive home and washed immediately (short sleeves allow for the best hand/wrist washing). For vestibular testing, you may want to add a disposable gown over your scrubs. These are removed and disposed of between patients. This is ideal to protect your scrubs from contamination between patients.
  • Wear shoes that can be washed (rubber is one option) or wiped clean and remove these before entering your home.
  • Wear gloves and change these between patients.
  • Surgical mask or N95 mask should always be used (many areas do not have enough N95s at this time, so you may need to use a surgical mask). If you use an N95, this needs to be fit-tested for the individual.
  • Face shields should be used given that a risk of aerosolized material is entry though the eyes. This could be a mask/shield combination, a separate face shield or plash rated goggles.

Testing Considerations

  • Vestibular testing presents a higher risk of transmission due to proximity to the patient and the risk of emesis. For all interactions, appropriate PPE (described above) should be used. In addition, consider relying more on rotary chair evaluation (if you have this available) rather than caloric testing. This provides more physical separation between clinician and patient.
  • BBPV treatment necessitates proximity and promotes emesis in some patients. Make sure that all PPE is in place prior to engaging in this activity.
  • All equipment and surfaces that come in contact with the patient and/or audiologist must be cleaned between patients. Given the concern of the eyes being a vulnerable entry point for the virus, VNG goggle sanitation is very important.

Other Resources

Please see the article below (pre-print) from Ear and Hearing  (May 12, 2020) for a further recommendations for clinicians involved in vestibular assessment and treatment.

COVID-19 Return to Work Guidance and Recommendations for Vestibular Clinicians
DOI: 10.1097/AUD.0000000000000903

As states begin issuing progressive deconfinement guidelines, hospitals and institutions are starting to reopen for elective procedures and consultations. Vestibular clinicians are opening their practices to evaluate, test or treat patients with dizziness and balance problems. The following document, requested by the American Balance Society, collates the current information about the virus, including transmission from asymptomatic carriers, decontamination and other safety protocols, and provides a return to work guidance for clinicians caring for this population of patients, promoting provider, patient and staff safety.

Share this

Related Posts

A Virtual Reality System for Delivery of Military-Specific Vestibular Rehabilitation After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: The Praxis Study Protocol

Panic Disorders in Patients with Vestibular Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Ectoderm Barcoding Reveals Neural and Cochlear Compartmentalization

Recent Posts

Government Relations News

Take Action: Support the Medicare Audiology Access Improvement Act

As Congress spends this week working in their home districts, the Academy encourages members to take action to support the introduction of the Medicare Audiology…

Read More
Audiology in the News

A Virtual Reality System for Delivery of Military-Specific Vestibular Rehabilitation After Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: The Praxis Study Protocol

In an article by Alroumi et al. (2025), treatment of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) through the use of virtual reality (VR) system was investigated….

Read More
Government Relations News

From Capitol Hill to Your Clinic: SPAN July Meeting on Medicaid Cuts

The State Policy Advocacy Network (SPAN) will convene again on July 29 for a critical meeting about Medicaid funding. SPAN brings together nationwide audiologists and…

Read More
wave-mark

Join the Academy

Academy members receive many benefits for professional development, practice management, and community development.

Become a Member
COMM24-Academy_Website_Graphics-revised_logo(W)

American Academy of Audiology
11480 Commerce Park Drive
Suite 220
Reston, VA 20191

Tel: 703-790-8466
Fax: 703-790-8631

  • Practice Resources
  • Education and Events
  • AAA Annual Conference
  • News and Publications
  • Careers
  • Advocacy
  • About the Academy
  • Consumers and Patients
  • Students
  • Donate
  • Get Involved
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Antitrust Policy and Guidelines
  • Terms of Use Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Sitemap

© Copyright 2025 American Academy of Audiology

Website by Yoko Co

This content is an exclusive benefit for American Academy of Audiology members.

If you’re a member, log in and you’ll get immediate access.

 

Member Login

 

If you’re not yet a member, you’ll be interested to know that joining not only gives you access to top-notch resources like this one, but also invitations to member-only events, inclusion in the member directory, participation in professional forums, and access to patient resources, tools, and continuing education. Join today!

Scroll To Top
We use cookies to improve your experience on our site. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. To learn more, please see our Privacy Policy.Ok