We know that between 50% and 80% of people who have had a stroke present with swallowing difficulties that may be associated with even a small lesion of the cortical or subcortical brain regions. This article provides an up-to-date overview...
The phenomenon of speech understanding in noise in normal hearing people attracts the interest of researchers continuously. This study’s aim was to further explore the possible reasons behind these difficulties. The participants were 50 adults that reported having normal hearing...
Microvascular free flaps are commonly used in reconstruction for head and neck defects. Failures of these flaps, however, are associated with a significant morbidity and mortality. Flap failures within the first 72 hours are commonly attributed to technical failure of...
Swallowing difficulties are a common comorbidity in just over a quarter of people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Given the associated risks of aspiration and exacerbation of COPD symptoms, speech and language therapists (SLTs) can offer valuable guidance...
In the entirety of training and in further practice, we are instilled with the premise of patient-centred care and individualised management plans based on informed consent. The question in the new age of telehealth/e-health is how to mimic that personalisation...
Post-Covid anosmia/hyposmia is a troublesome persistent symptom for lots of patients. Management is still elusive. This was a nationwide survey of ENT practitioners. Of the 715 surveyed members, only 7.4% responded. Most performed a nasal endoscopy, 60% ordered an MRI...
The ageing auditory system: about 15 years ago, you could probably count on one hand the number of research papers on this subject. Now it seems one of the hot topics of discussion and investigation. This is, it seems, quite...
This paper from Beijing looked at 68 patients, 34 in a control group and 34 in an intervention group. Oral exercise training was performed by a specialist swallowing nurse in the intervention group. They found that personalised oral exercises had...
You have ear protection, but are you using it properly? What are the risks over time? The design of standard earplugs has changed a lot in a decade. Earplug attenuation did reduce over time but still remained safe, however the...
The emergency department acts as the first port of call for many individuals with wide-ranging diagnoses and conditions, several of whom may potentially present with dysphagia. It is not a usual environment in which speech and language therapists regularly work,...
Healthcare services in Australia have been using telehealth to reach remote areas for many years prior to the Covid-19 pandemic. It is estimated that 10% of the Australian population have no access to primary healthcare within a 60-minute drive. This...
Navigating the path to Higher Specialist Scientist Equivalence can be challenging. Susannah Goggins shares her experience, insights and tips for a successful application. Professional background After a BSc degree in physiology through the University of Leeds in 2002, I knew...