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The Temporal Bone: Anatomical Dissection and Surgical Approaches

The Temporal Bone: Anatomical Dissection and Surgical Approaches does exactly what it says on the tin. It is an excellent combination of anatomical atlas and dissection manual for temporal bone surgical procedures, designed to be kept open at the benchside...

Incidental thyroid nodules: should we observe or operate?

Thyroid nodules are extraordinarily prevalent, detected by physical examination in 7% and by imaging studies in 67% of the population. Although most of these nodules are benign, up to 20% are found to be malignant on excision. It’s a very...

Allergen immunotherapy and allergic rhinitis – EAACI guideline 2017

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common chronic childhood disease with considerable social burden and impact on quality of life, frequently necessitating treatment with various combinations of antihistamines and corticosteroids. The allergen immunotherapy (AIT), sometimes known as desensitisation therapy, can modify...

Is medical therapy without surgical treatment sufficient in treating peritonsillar abscess?

Standard treatment of peritonsillar abscess (PTA) has typically involved both medical therapy and surgical drainage either in the form of needle aspiration, or incision and drainage. However, is medical without surgical treatment sufficient? The authors suggest that medical therapy without...

Is it worth paying for group therapy?

Group therapy for post-stroke communication difficulties has been described in the research literature for more than 50 years and is generally considered an efficacious approach. Yet these authors express concern that the American Medicare system is less willing to fund...

Measuring the ‘impact’ of preoperative immunonutrition

Using preoperative nutritional supplements as part of ‘enhanced recovery’ in surgical patients is not a new concept. This interesting paper looks at the latest development in optimising patients undergoing head and neck oncological surgery. Immunonutrition (Nestle’s ‘Oral Impact’ in this...

Seeking medical attention with tonsillectomy complications depends on who you are. Lessons from the USA

In the current UK model, NHS care is free at point of access so there are no perceived economic barriers to seeking attention with postoperative complications. This study from the US examines surgical and emergency room databases from across California,...

Telepractice for the delivery of paediatric feeding services

During the current COVID-19 pandemic, telepractice is being heralded as the safest service delivery mode for the majority of outpatient consultations. Patients are reviewed by their healthcare specialist through video consultations, thus avoiding the need for patients to leave their...

3D-printed temporal bone models - how good can they be?

In the era of increasingly difficult and expensive-to-come-by cadaveric temporal bones with which to practise drilling and learn the complex 3D anatomy of the temporal bone, decent alternatives would be welcome. McMillan et al report a prospective comparison study in...

Person-centric practice within a hearing wellbeing programme

This Australian team describe their development process of a hearing wellbeing programme beginning in August 2020, with a wide variety of stakeholders being involved. Primarily, they report, they aimed to overcome the challenge of providing engaging social and emotional support...