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Three years later: report on the state of well-being of patients with chronic tinnitus who underwent modified tinnitus retraining therapy

This paper reports on 130 patients with tinnitus of at least three months duration who underwent ‘Modified Tinnitus Retraining Therapy’ (MTRT). MTRT combines psychological and physical therapies with standard tinnitus retraining therapy provided as a course of multi-disciplinary treatment, as...

Paediatric pain control post-tonsillectomy

The use of codeine in the paediatric population is widely debated since the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published warnings regarding overdose and death following the usage of codeine. Codeine is metabolised by the polymorphic cytochrome PY4502D6 (CYP2D6) in...

A novel way to reduce postoperative nausea and vomiting

This is an interesting RCT which evaluates the prophylactic effect of bilateral endoscopic injection of local anaesthetic in the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) on postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV). It has a robust design, and is sufficiently powered and blinded, with...

Peer-support group for people with a hearing loss

Peer-support groups’ (PSGs) involvement in rehabilitation of people with different health issues can have a very positive impact on the patients’ wellbeing as showed in a various literature on the subject. This study involves analysis of data from previous studies...

What is the right balance to strike in the management of anaplastic thyroid cancer?

This is a pragmatic article on a difficult and much debated subject. Management of anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) can feel like making decisions between a rock and a hard place, and this article suggests one path to help navigate some...

What do SLTs do in palliative care?

The authors of this article highlight that the number of older people has increased significantly in the last two decades, and the number of people over 85 has doubled in Australia since 1996. They attribute this to improved lifestyle factors...

Olfactory and gustatory recovery in coronavirus patients after six months

It remains unclear for how long olfactory and gustatory losses persevere in patients with COVID-19. This is a prospective study of 300 patients who lost taste and smell within seven days of contracting COVID-19. The patients were objectively assessed with...

Adenotonsillectomy day-case discharge criteria: a systematic review

In this paper, Gowda et al review the literature aiming to answer a long-standing question regarding the criteria for same-day discharge of paediatric patients post adenoidectomy and/or tonsillectomy performed for treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). Following PRISMA consensus, they...

It is all so COSI…

Something which we have realised for a long time in the UK is the importance of the clinician in the assessment and long-term adoption of hearing aids. This common sense article outlines the need for more individualised patient pathways, thinking...

Hurdle jumping

This article deserves a little attention, rather like settling into conversation. As the writers state, listening is an effort and is a tricky field of study when combining multiple physiological measures. In order to gain an understanding, they suggest: consider...

The cocktail party conundrum

I feel, with slight sadness and disappointment, that a good cocktail party, dresses, punch bowls and all is not currently in its heyday and, therefore, opportunity of attending is slim. However, from what I remember, they tend to be a...