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Advances in auditory implants

This article provides an overview of auditory implants. Implanted auditory devices may be classified into bone conduction implants (BCI) and active middle ear implants (AMEI) that stimulate cochlear hair cells, and cochlear implants (CI) that stimulate neural structures. CIs bypass...

How to improve olfaction and enhance quality of life after laryngectomy

Total laryngectomy diverts airflow away from the nose and, hence, olfaction is greatly impaired. Undoubtedly, this affects quality of life in terms of loss of taste and flavour. Surgery and devices to re-establish airflow into the nose can be difficult...

Gadolinium enhanced MRI and the diagnosis of Ménière’s disease

Despite various criteria applied over the years to diagnose Ménière’s disease since the concept of endolymphatic hydrops was first observed in postmortem examinations of patients in 1938, the diagnosis still remains mainly clinical. To visualise endolymphatic hydrops in MRI imaging,...

How best can we manage Samter’s Triad/AERD?

The classic ‘Samter’s Triad’ of asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP), and aspirin sensitivity is now referred to as aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory-exacerbated respiratory disease. We often come across in our rhinology setting, patients with recalcitrant...

Parapharyngeal space tumours – is the transoral approach effective?

Several approaches are described to the parapharyngeal space to permit resection of tumours in this region, with the most commonly employed approach being the transcervical route. The transoral approach remains somewhat controversial as it is felt that this approach can...

Recurrent facial palsy

Recurrent facial palsy is relatively rare, and its clinical features are not well known. The authors set out to investigate this further by undertaking a retrospective study of patients with recurrent facial palsy over a 14-year period. Only Bell’s palsy...

The ‘My Hearing Explained’ tool: audiologist and client perceptions

The study notes that the pure tone audiogram has been the primary clinical and counselling tool used by clinicians to assess and describe hearing thresholds to individuals and families since 1922. The Ida Institutes, ‘My Hearing Explained’ tool has become...

What is the quality of patient-reported outcomes of salivary function?

Salivary gland dysfunction has multiple causes and can have significant impact on quality of life, particularly when symptoms are severe. There are several patient-reported outcomes (PROMS) that assess these issues; however, these are variable in what they measure. This systematic...

I saw it on the internet: gathering evidence for clinical decision making

Evidence-based practice is often described as the integration of three sources of information to inform clinical practice, namely: 1) research evidence/practice guidelines; 2) client preferences/needs, and: 3) clinical experience. Speech and language therapists have reported a lack of time and...

How well do different assessments of swallowing correlate with one another?

Swallowing (dys)function may be assessed by three key measures: 1. instrumental swallowing techniques such as the modified barium swallow (MBS) or videofluoroscopy; 2. functional measures of diet texture that patients can eat comfortably (usually rated by the clinician); and 3....

How long after head and neck cancer diagnosis do patients need opioids?

With the advances in the management of head and neck cancer (HNC), patients tend to survive longer after their diagnosis. These people face the burden of chronic pain management which is strongly associated with HNC. A HNC team in Portland...

Provision of hearing support to people with dementia in care homes

The study suggests care home staff training in hearing care for residents with dementia is often not available or not considered a priority. Resources, facilities, training, staff capacity, capability and support vary widely. Care home provision also varies between social...