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Ear wax removal: should anyone and everyone perform it?

Earwax removal is a controversial and much-debated issue in audiology. Risks and public safety call for reforms, sparking discussion on professional standards. Earwax is a natural secretion produced by the ear. It is an amalgamation of desquamous epithelial skin cells,...

From aaargh to zzzzz: the ABC of paediatric anaesthesia

Andrew McTavish is one of those special breeds who not only relishes complex anaesthesia, but also does so in paediatric patients. Dealing with this group of patients requires careful planning according to accepted practice, and here he discusses some recent...

Screening for hearing loss with mHealth solutions

With the number of people suffering from hearing loss growing all the time, the need for early detection and intervention is imperative. De Wet Swanepoel discusses two examples of mHealth possibilities for hearing screening which, as a low cost solution,...

Allergy – what’s in a name?

Allergy is defined as an “abnormal immune reaction to an ordinarily harmless substance” [1], however the meaning of the word has taken many forms since its introduction in 1906 by Austrian Paediatrician and Immunologist, Clemens von Pirquet [2]. Combining his...

Evidence based practice in paediatric audiology

Audiology, like most of the health sciences professions, has been working on integrating evidence-based practice principles since the mid-1990s [1]. Professional organisations and regulatory colleges have produced evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, disseminated them to audiologists and collaborated with practitioners to...

Deaf identity in audiology services: exploring the significance and implications

Dr Celia Hulme, a culturally Deaf * sign language user, draws from her personal experience and extensive PhD research on Deaf signers’ experiences with audiology services. *In this article, the convention of using an uppercase ‘D’ is used to denote...

Insight into an Indian-trained ENT specialist working in the UK

With international fellowships becoming more commonplace for gaining subspecialty experience, the authors describe the pros and cons of a UK fellowship and summarise the differences they have noticed in training and clinical practice between India and the UK. Otorhinolaryngology, or...

Fifteen years of vestibular implant research in humans

Implants: it’s all in the balance! Prof Guyot and his team give us an update on their research in addressing bilateral vestibular deficits via an implant. Doctors are often unaware that people, even young, may lose vestibular function on both...