The advanced practice nurse (APRN) is performing the Weber test on a 22 year old patient with a right otitis media with perforated ear drum. The APRN expects what findings?

A. Sound will lateralize to the patient's ears equally is incorrect because in unilateral conductive hearing loss, the Weber test does not produce equal perception. Equal hearing occurs in patients with normal hearing or symmetric sensorineural hearing loss. B. Sound will lateralize to the patient's unaffected ear is incorrect because in conductive hearing loss, such as otitis media with a perforated eardrum, sound is perceived louder in the affected ear, not the unaffected ear. Lateralization to the unaffected ear occurs in sensorineural hearing loss. C. Sound will lateralize to the patient's affected ear is correct because conductive hearing loss (caused by fluid, infection, or perforation) increases the perception of bone-conducted sound in the affected ear. The impaired external or middle ear reduces ambient noise interference, making the sound from the tuning fork appear louder in the affected ear during the Weber test. D. The patient will not hear the tuning fork at all is incorrect because even with a perforated eardrum, bone conduction is still possible, and the patient will perceive the tuning fork sound during the Weber test.