You searched for "ORL"
Are there benefits of prophylactic swallowing exercises for patients with head and neck cancer?
This randomised controlled trial aimed to establish the impact of prophylactic swallowing exercises in patients undergoing chemoradiation therapy for head and neck cancer. The primary outcome was the functional oral intake scale (FOIS), although secondary measures for feeding tube use,...
Should patients with dysphagia be allowed water freely?
Patients with dysphagia often experience dehydration as a consequence of “nil by mouth” or having to consume thickened fluids due to aspiration of thin fluids. However, not all incidents of aspiration develop into an infection. Factors that contribute to aspiration...
Less pain more gain: impact of prophylactic gabapentin on swallowing outcomes in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment
Patients planned for chemoradiation to the head and neck are usually advised to expect some pain and soreness during their treatment and that pain relief will be offered as and when it is required. Uncontrolled pain and mucositis affect oral...
5-cm incision for neck dissection and free flap reconstruction
Patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) will commonly require neck dissection as it is associated with a higher rate of overall and disease free survival. Free flap reconstruction of the defect following surgical resection is considered the gold...
A multidisciplinary approach to the management of frontal sinus fracture
Frontal sinus fractures account for about 5% of all facial trauma. Fractures of the posterior wall may result in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak and meningitis, while obstruction of the outflow tract can cause sinusitis and mucocele formation. However, there are...
Full Vs tapered dose of oral prednisolone for sudden sensorineural hearing loss
I was drawn in by the title of this article, in the expectation that it might be a randomised controlled trial, but it was not. Sudden sensorineural hearing loss is an uncommon condition, which has a potentially disastrous outcome, so...
Is it time for cone-beam CTs to replace the traditional orthopantomogram in the primary diagnosis of temporomandibular joint disorders?
Cone-beam CT requires a lower dose of radiation compared to the multidetector CT and provides much more detailed information in 3D about the bony structures of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) when compared to the traditional orthopantomogram (OPG). In this article...
Intratympanic steroids - to give or not to give?
The treatment of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) is controversial and different modes of steroids have been tried without any universal consensus. Various authors have reported combined oral and intratympanic steroid therapy in SSNHL, with consistent results in several...
Is dissection of level IV necessary in patients with negative neck oral cancer?
Supraomohyoid neck dissection (SOHND) refers to the removal of lymph nodes contained in levels I-III and is currently referred to as a selective neck dissection levels I-III. This type of neck dissection has been frequently used in the management of...
Should we be doing earlier MRIs in sudden sensorineural hearing loss?
There is recognised variation between ENT departments in exact imaging protocols for the workup of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) but a routine MRI to exclude retrocochlear pathology is standard, usually following immediate treatment with oral +/- intratympanic steroids....
An alternative device for obstructive sleep apnoea
Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the first-line treatment for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), primarily due to the vast amount of short-term evidence in the medical literature it has accrued. The enduring obstacle to CPAP from becoming a treatment option...
