What volume increment is recommended to increase stimuli during a manual test until the patient responds?

The recommended volume increment to increase stimuli during a manual test until the patient responds is 5 dB. This increment allows for a more precise assessment of the patient's hearing threshold. Using a smaller increment, such as 5 dB, helps to define the threshold more accurately, ensuring the lowest level at which the patient can hear the sound is correctly identified. A 10 dB increment may skip over subtle changes in hearing sensitivity, while larger increments like 15 dB or 20 dB would further compromise the ability to pinpoint the exact threshold, potentially leading to an inaccurate representation of the patient's hearing ability. Therefore, a 5 dB increment is consistent with standard audiometric practices aimed at careful measurement of hearing thresholds.