You searched for "assistive"
RCT: tongue retaining devices vs CPAP for OSA
This study compared the effect of a tongue retaining device versus the use of CPAP in 27 patients within a crossover RCT design. Tongue retaining devices (also known as tongue stabilising devices), are similar in appearance to a plastic tongue-sized...
Can we get some satisfaction (in aphasia therapy)?
Patient satisfaction is associated with improved health outcomes, yet using surveys to collate information on satisfaction is limited by the types of questions asked. Satisfaction remains a broad concept but asking respondents more open questions allows service users to define...
An inherited platelet disorder in a post- tonsillectomy haemorrhage
Unexplained bleeding after any surgery is least desirable and to identify a cause for this preoperatively can be a very useful safeguarding measure. By looking for inherited platelet disorders in patients who bled after tonsillectomy, the authors of this publication...
PPPD - the problem with the label
The recently described diagnostic entity of persistent postural perceptual dizziness (PPPD) has its merits regarding guiding intervention and treatment, but the label itself can be problematic for patients. This study was designed to determine the views of patients of the...
Management of postoperative cholesteatoma
This prospective longitudinal observational study compared the ability of second-look surgery with that of surveillance using serial non-echo-planar diffusion-weighted imaging to detect residual cholesteatoma after canal wall-up mastoidectomy. A total of 34 patients were included in the study who underwent...
Alcohol and hearing
Alcohol is a well-known central nervous system depressant. Individual reactions to alcohol might vary, but the connection between alcohol consumption and tolerance to loud noise or difficulties in communication in noisy environments are well-observed phenomena; for example, at evening parties....
Publishing - a predictor of an academic career in ENT?
Achieving a publication as a medical student renders ENT trainees six times more likely to publish again during postgraduate surgical training. But how does this correlate with subsequent subspecialty fellowship training and a career in academia? Johnson et al examined...
Do personal listening devices cause cochlear synaptopathy?
Cochlear synaptopathy is a condition in which noise interrupts the synaptic communication between sensory inner hair cells and low spontaneous rate cochlear nerve fibres. Since these nerve fibres are associated with signal coding in noisy backgrounds, their disruption leads to...
Gastrostomy tube dependence following TORS
Transoral robotic surgery (TORS) for oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) is now a well-established treatment modality for early (T1-T2) disease. Accumulating evidence suggests that one of its main benefits relative to conventional chemoradiotherapy is superior long-term functional outcome, especially with...
Balloon Eustachian tuboplasty – is it time to start doing it in children?
Given the potential applications for balloon Eustachian tuboplasty (BET) in children, its uptake in most centres has been slow. The reasons for this are multifactorial. There are technical issues – the feasibility of obtaining the correct size balloon and manoeuvring...
How do objective ratings of swallowing compare with patient-reported dysphagia QOL measures in the head and neck cancer population?
Swallowing may be assessed by a comprehensive battery of tools including instrumental/objective assessments, clinician-rated measures and patient-reported measures. The authors of this paper use secondary analysis to explore concordance between videofluoroscopy and a patient-reported dysphagia quality of life (QOL) measure....
