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School-Based Audiology

I was interested to read this book which aims to cover the basics required for school based audiologists (or ‘educational audiologists’ as they are also known) working in the USA, as I had limited knowledge of this role. The role...

Safeguarding Physician Wellbeing: Using Checklists for Personal, Professional and Psychological Safety

‘Checklists’ in the operating room make for safer surgery, better handovers and improved patient care. Can we apply the principles we have learned since Atul Gawande and the WHO pioneered this approach to surgery to our own wellbeing as doctors,...

Acute peripheral vestibulopathy: is it really neuritis?

The pathophysiology of acute vestibular dysfunction has been debated for decades. By seeking to clarify the underlying aetiology, this study muddies the waters further by advocating systemic and intratympanic steroids as first line treatment if the aetiology is uncertain. The...

What to do with incidental findings on FDG PET/CT?

18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG PET/CT) is commonly used in head and neck cancer staging. This investigation frequently identifies incidental findings unrelated to the index head and neck cancer. To assess the nature of these incidental findings, notes of...

Cocaine detection hours after FESS

This is a very interesting article from Australia regarding the bioavailability of cocaine following atomised application prior to endoscopic sinus surgery. The well-established practice of preparing the nasal mucosa for sinus surgery involves the placement of a usually modified Moffett’s...

Moving towards implanting children below 12 months of age

Newborn hearing screening has ensured that deaf infants are identified soon after birth so that habilitation can begin as early as possible. Cochlear implantation is a key component of early intervention for some children, but it is often not performed...

Prophylactic gastrostomy tubes in advance of chemoradiotherapy for advanced head and neck malignancies – are they worthwhile?

It is well recognised that radical chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for head and neck cancers can significantly affect swallowing, especially if radiotherapy is delivered to the hypopharynx and/or both sides of the neck. As such, prophylactic gastrostomy tubes are often advocated in...

Temporal bone drilling using artificial versus cadaveric specimens - does the specimen precipitate altered drilling techniques?

Hochman et al set an ambitious goal in their study analysing drilling strokes of eight otolaryngology residents (junior: PGY 1-3; senior: PGY 4-5) during temporal bone (TB) drilling practice using cadaveric and artificial specimens. Each trainee dissected one cadaveric and...

COVID vaccination and its relation to Bell’s palsy

The SARS-CoV-2 virus outbreak in 2020 continues to be investigated as well as its after-effects on those infected by it. The vaccines created for the public were groundbreaking achievements, evidenced by the lives saved by them and the return to...

Does middle turbinate resection affect olfaction in endoscopic transsphenoidal surgery?

The middle turbinates (MT) are sometimes partially resected during endoscopic transnasal transsphenoidal pituitary surgery to improve surgical access. Some outfracture the middle turbinates instead. This article presents results of the first prospective randomised study, investigating the effects of such surgery...