If a patient responds during a hearing test, how much should the volume decrease?

When conducting a hearing test, specifically during the process of air conduction testing, it is common practice to decrease the volume by 10 dB when a patient responds to a tone or sound. This decrease is based on the principle of determining the patient's threshold of hearing. By reducing the volume in 10 dB increments after a positive response, the technician can more accurately identify the lowest intensity level at which the patient can still perceive the sound. This methodology ensures that the threshold is established reliably, allowing for better assessment of the patient's hearing capabilities. Thus, the choice of decreasing the volume by 10 dB aligns with established protocols in audiometric testing.