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The Journal of the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa (JCMSA): a model for sharing research from low- and middle-income countries

A new open-access journal from South Africa offers a sustainable model to amplify research from low- and middle-income countries and rebalance global health knowledge. More than 80% of the world’s population lives in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Yet high-income...

Dispelling myths about audiologic counselling: part one

In the first of a two-part series (see Part 2 here), Drs Clark and English explore common misconceptions in audiologic counselling and highlight the power of empathy and person-centred care. As patients sit before us, they experience any number of...

Liquid gold – platelet-rich plasma glottic injections in vocal pathology

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is being used in an increasing number of ENT conditions, with particular promise in the larynx. Voice is a defining human characteristic. The ability to communicate with one another and to use the vocal folds (VFs) for...

PLUM: using parent observations to identify persistent otitis media

Can parent observations help identify persistent otitis media sooner? PLUM uses everyday listening behaviours to flag children who may need urgent specialist care. Otitis media (OM) remains one of the most persistent health inequities facing Indigenous children globally. While prevalence...

The sound of music for adult cochlear implant recipients

Dr Valerie Looi has dedicated her academic career to investigating music perception in people who have cochlear implants, and more recently, the potential of music training for improving their music perception. This article outlines current research relating to music perception...

‘The Sun does not forget a village just because it is too small’ – African proverb

Solar powered hearing aids In the middle of the morning of January 24, 2002, I had been in Otse for only three days, a village of 3500 in the south of Botswana, when I heard a knock at the door....

Aetiology, investigation and acute management of sudden sensorineural hearing loss

The cause of a single sided sensorineural hearing loss has a wide variety of aetiologies. This review, by Edwin Halliday, looks specifically at the differential diagnostic causes of a sudden sensorineural hearing loss, the relevant investigations and the management should...

Rotational chair testing: “To rotate, or not to rotate, that is the real question”

Passive whole body rotation tests are widely considered to be the ‘gold standard’ for the identification of bilateral peripheral vestibular disorders (bPVD), but also have a part to play in identifying unilateral disorders (uPVD). In this article Paul Radomskij discusses...

The effects of polypharmacy in the elderly

Another pill to cure the ill? Alec Lapira discusses the warning signs of polypharmacy in the elderly population. Polypharmacy in the elderly Polypharmacy – defined as the use of five or more medications – occurs in 20–37% of older people...