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Development and review of a blended service in response to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has required healthcare services globally to show both resilience and ingenuity in redesigning services to meet the ever-changing needs of our patients. We hear about the redevelopment of clinical pathways within an hearing implant service, and the...

Gastric inlet patch – an under-diagnosed cause of globus

A gastric inlet patch (GIP) is an island of heterotopic gastric mucosa found commonly in the proximal oesophagus just below the upper oesophageal sphincter. It is often underdiagnosed due to its location. Its importance and clinical relevance can be underestimated...

Biologic therapies for chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps: a new paradigm

Surgery for nasal polyposis has evolved significantly in the last 30 years, and now the medical management may be on the cusp of a revolution. Biologics using monoclonal antibodies to target specific immune pathways have introduced a paradigm shift in...

Head and neck cancer and PET-CT

Positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) is an imaging technique in which abnormalities of tissue metabolism are precisely superimposed onto the anatomy. It relies on the premise that malignant cells are more metabolically active compared with non-malignant cells. On this basis,...

Nuclear heads – and necks

Imaging of the extra-cranial head and neck is challenging due to the anatomic complexity of the region. CT, MRI and ultrasonography (US) are amongst the most frequently utilised radiological modalities in head and neck imaging but do not always provide...

Temporal bone trauma

Introduction Temporal bone injuries represent one of the more complex management problems presenting to the otolaryngologist. This is largely due to difficulties in assessment and the frequent delays in referral, often as a result of other injuries demanding more immediate...

Simulation: human factors scenario training

It is said that surgical training has suffered as a result of a combination of factors – through the introduction of work time restrictions such as the European Working Time Directive (EWTD) [1], a limit on the number of years...

Patient and public involvement in research

One step further from involving patients in setting research priorities is to involve them in the planning and recruitment stages of the subsequent trials and studies. Here, Carl Philpott and Aneeka Degun explain the concept of Patient and Public Involvement...

Selecting and optimising hearing aids for tinnitus benefit: a rough guide

Hearing aids have a relatively long history as tinnitus treatment tools. Saltzman and Ersner reported success in suppressing tinnitus with simple hearing aids in a number of cases as early as 1947 [1]. In an early comprehensive approach to tinnitus...

The benefits of mindfulness for tinnitus

Mindfulness-based psychological therapy for tinnitus has, in recent times, been the subject of well-designed clinical research that demonstrated impressive benefits. Dr Liz Marks guides us through this field, and advocates for better access and availability of these techniques. Mindfulness can...

Personal perspective of a hearing aid user: In conversation with Alistair Cruickshank

Alistair Cruickshank explains how he has embraced technological changes to improve his day-to-day listening experiences as a hearing aid user. He explains the importance of experimenting and trying out different approaches and how much he values working closely with his...

The preventative audiologist

Rob Shepheard has been championing the role of ‘the preventative audiologist’ for many years. In this article, he explores how that can be achieved.