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How to increase uptake of hearing screening in primary care

Untreated hearing loss leads to an increased risk of dementia and depression. There is currently little evidence to support the benefits of hearing screening in asymptomatic older adults. The main aim of the study was to compare three hearing screening...

Prevention better than cure?

This systematic review looks at methods of ‘barrier protection’ or ‘barrier-enforcing’ to minimise allergic rhinitis symptoms, using 15 RCTs. Whilst the authors admit that patient numbers were small in a number of these studies, generally it seems that barrier techniques...

Techniques of Botulinum Toxin Injections in the Head and Neck

The foreword begins with a saying by George Bernard Shaw, “all great truths begin as blasphemies”. This certainly was the case with medical application of Botox initially, however, botulinum toxin now has an accepted role and is widely used in...

Audiology Workbook – Third Edition

The Audiology Workbook (third edition) is aimed at students completing an audiology degree. It is designed as an accompaniment to the authors’ textbook, but I feel it could be used as a standalone workbook for any student audiologist. It asks...

Antiseptics to combat otorrhea in the era of antibiotic resistance

This nice scientific paper pits various antiseptic solutions against each other to determine which has the most bactericidal properties. Five different antiseptics were applied to MRSA and quinolone-resistant pseudomonas species, which are both difficult to treat with conventional ototoxic medications....

More than words: looking at all the evidence

Evidence based practice (EBP) is a three-pillared approach whereby information on the research evidence, factors relating to the patient and clinical experience are all considered to inform a care decision. Unfortunately, there is frequently very little research evidence to inform...

Surgical management of permanent facial paralysis

This article explores the management of flaccid facial palsy focusing on weakness less than one to two years’ duration. As a general rule, primary nerve repair produces the best outcome and should be performed where possible. For long-standing paralysis of...

How can we improve outcomes for patients with acute vestibular neuritis?

Vestibular neuritis is a common disorder that can leave up to 50% of patients with persistent vertigo symptoms for months to years following the acute insult. Often their first contact with ENT or balance specialists is many months after the...