What is the formula used to find the High Frequency Pure Tone Average (HF PTA)?

The High Frequency Pure Tone Average (HF PTA) is calculated using the pure tone thresholds at the frequencies of 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, and 3,000 Hz. This formula is specifically designed to assess performance in higher frequency ranges where many forms of hearing loss are more pronounced, especially in the context of speech understanding.

Thus, the correct formula takes the thresholds at 1,000, 2,000, and 3,000 Hz, adds them together, and divides by three to find the average, accurately reflecting the hearing ability in high frequencies. This average is crucial for evaluating a patient's hearing loss, especially when it comes to determining the need for hearing aids or other auditory interventions.

The other options do not provide a measurement of frequencies relevant to high frequency hearing loss for this specific calculation. For example, those that incorporate frequencies like 250 Hz or 500 Hz are more aligned with low-frequency averages, which do not assess the high-frequency range critical for speech perception and clarity. The formula that uses 3,000 Hz and above, while relevant, does not consider the critical lower high frequencies necessary for a complete HF PTA assessment.