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Blood-sampling prognostic predictors for Bell’s palsy

Bell’s palsy is generally defined as an acute-onset unilateral idiopathic mononeuropathy in the facial nerve. It is of unknown aetiology, however, inflammation is considered a major cause. Electroneurography assessing nerve excitability is the most reliable examination for predicting prognosis of...

Can we centralise cochlear implant surgery and keep most appointments close to home?

The NHS Five Year Forward View promoted seeing patients closer to home in order to provide better care, cut down on missed appointments and reduce costs. This encouraged the development of ‘hub and spoke’ models of care, but this model...

The vitamin D deficiency and recurrent BPPV debate revisited

The role of calcium metabolism and disorders of bone mineral density in the evolution and recurrence of BPPV has been debated over the years. As a contribution to this debate, the authors undertook a prospective study into the correlation between...

Smartphone hearing test

Our Editors’ Choice for this edition reviews an article looking at the use of a smartphone app for hearing screening. We have all had to integrate telehealth into our practice to some extent recently and this paper examines a teleaudiology...

Canal plugging for intractable Meniere’s disease

In this single centre retrospective study, the authors applied semicircular canal plugging, well known as a treatment for refractory BPPV, to intractable unilateral Meniere’s disease (MD) that had failed to respond to medical treatment with betahistine and hydrochlorothiazide. However, in...

TIVA in FESS: a meta-analysis

This meta-analysis is from Rochester, New York, and aims to add more evidence for the use of TIVA in endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) to arm rhinologists keen for a quick, bloodless FESS in the discussion with anaesthetists who prefer inhalation....

Modified barium swallow studies: what is the radiation risk?

A modified barium swallow study (MBSS), also called a videofluoroscopy swallowing study uses ionising radiation to assist the clinician in visualising swallowing biomechanics from the oral cavity to the oesophagus. This procedure is currently one of the best methods used...

Does salvage treatment in sudden sensorineural hearing loss work?

Many treatment strategies for sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) have been discussed, but the high spontaneous recovery rate (32-65%) of idiopathic SSNHL and differing treatment guidelines make comparing outcomes difficult. Systemic steroids are the most common first-line therapy with significant...

Cognitive function is preserved in episodic vestibular disorders

Cognitive deficit in bilateral vestibular failure in particular, but also in unilateral vestibular failure, is well documented. The authors designed this prospective study to determine if deficits in cognition, as well as anxiety and depression, were present in episodic vestibular...

Is clinical HIT as good as vHIT in the emergency room?

Establishing the cause of acute vestibular syndrome (AVS) is critical in the first few hours of presentation in the emergency department. The first question to ask is, “is it due to a peripheral vestibular pathology or a stroke?” This is...

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...