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Treating keloid scarring with pressure clips following excision: does it work?

Keloid scars can pose a difficult management problem. Whilst not harmful in themselves they can be cosmetically unappealing and lead to social embarrassment and resulting isolation, and following surgical excision they often reoccur. Mechanical pressure is an adjuvant to surgical...

Beware of GPA as a cause of subglottic stenosis

Up to 92% of patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) have concurrent ENT manifestations of the disease. Whilst we are familiar with sinonasal and middle ear presentations of GPA, subglottic stenosis (SGS) is another important and potentially life threatening manifestation....

Diet quality, noise, and hearing

This is an important article for all audiologists to better understand the relationship between dietary habits and hearing loss. It reports poor dietary habits plus noise exposure may lead to increased high frequency hearing loss. The literature review lays the...

Management of necrotising otitis externa

Although uncommon, necrotising (previously malignant) otitis externa (nOE) can be very aggressive, particularly if not managed appropriately. In this study the authors perform a retrospective review of 25 patients admitted with nOE over a four year period at a tertiary...

Assessment of viral aetiology in the formation of nasal polyps

The exact aetiology of nasal polyposis is not yet established although it is believed that allergic, infectious, mechanical, immunological and biochemical factors may be involved. Using the technique of polymerase chain reaction, this study assesses the role of human adenovirus,...

Online group therapy is easier but is it better?

Aphasia is a communication disability caused by stroke, brain injury or dementia. People with aphasia benefit from both the emotional and communication support that group therapy can provide, yet there can be many barriers to accessing this type of intervention,...

Home alone with aphasia

Relationships and social networks are known to impact outcome following a stroke. Studies have shown that group-housed animals who have had a stroke show greater neurological recovery than those who are isolated. Similarly, adults who are socially isolated following a...

Cochlear implantation in the over 85s

An ageing population globally, means that the individuals of some countries are now living longer and, as hearing loss is commonly associated with the elderly, there will be more elderly people eligible for cochlear implantation. Hearing loss itself is associated...

Cochlear implants in the over 80s

The UK has an ageing population. Seven percent of the over 80s population have bilateral severe to profound hearing loss which can lead to associated negative outcomes (social isolation, depression and reduced quality of life). Cochlear implantation (CI) can successfully...

Moderating effect of hearing aids on association between hearing loss and brain structure?

Previous studies have suggested links between age-related hearing loss and structural changes in cortical regions with auditory and language functions, which could be causative of cognitive decline linked to the condition. The authors reason reduced sensory input could be causative...

Medicine and Seamus Heaney

Seamus Heaney grew up in the 1940s. Infectious diseases – diphtheria, poliomyelitis, mumps, measles and rubella – were rife. Stepping Stones recalled talk among older neighbours of ‘a-waiting on’ when they were close to death. Aunts and uncles succumbed to...