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Allergen immunotherapy and allergic rhinitis – EAACI guideline 2017
Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common chronic childhood disease with considerable social burden and impact on quality of life, frequently necessitating treatment with various combinations of antihistamines and corticosteroids. The allergen immunotherapy (AIT), sometimes known as desensitisation therapy, can modify...
Speech and language therapy is valuable for people at all stages of dementia
The number of people living with dementia is going to increase significantly over the coming 10-20 years. The authors of this article describe the breadth of the role of speech and language therapists (SLTs) working with people with dementia. They...
A mouth-rinse test that can screen for oral cancer?
This paper presents a promising screening tool for oral cancer – using a simple chlorhexidine mouth-rinse. The hypermethylated ZNF582 and PAX1 markers were chosen based on previous studies using oral scraping methods of collection and have been shown to be...
Can laryngeal sensitivity testing predict aspiration and pneumonia in dysphagic patients?
The laryngeal adductor reflex (LAR) is characterised by brief vocal cord closure in response to laryngeal stimulation. It is important in swallowing physiology as it represents a mechanism for airway protection. The authors of this study examined whether the absence...
Grading dysphagia as a toxicity in treating head and neck cancer
Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) is a system used by clinicians to grade the toxicity of oncology treatments in a standardised manner. Dysphagia is perhaps the most common long-term toxicity of head and neck cancer treatment. Currently, a...
Importance of the time interval between surgery and postoperative radiation therapy in head and neck cancer
The ideal time to start postoperative radiation therapy (PORT) in head and neck cancer patients has been an issue of debate. In the USA, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) recommends initiating radiotherapy within six weeks from surgery. The six-week...
Chemo-radiation in elderly patients with head and neck cancers
Chemo-radiotherapy is the standard of care for organ preservation in stage three and four oropharyngeal cancer, prospective data on patients over 65 has not been available as they are usually excluded from randomised trials. This paper reviews the experience of...
Seeking medical attention with tonsillectomy complications depends on who you are. Lessons from the USA
In the current UK model, NHS care is free at point of access so there are no perceived economic barriers to seeking attention with postoperative complications. This study from the US examines surgical and emergency room databases from across California,...
Prophylactic swallowing exercises in head and neck cancer
Clinicians working in head and neck cancer will be familiar with the increased interest in prophylactic swallowing exercises to reduce the devastating impact of dysphagia experienced by patients undergoing radiation or chemo-radiation therapy. This study from Denmark is one of...
Gardasil vaccination – an effective adjuvant therapy for RRP?
The clinical manifestations of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) can vary hugely from individual to individual. Whilst some affected children will outgrow the disease, a subset of patients will experience frequent recurrences and require multiple surgical procedures over the course of...
Hearing loss in the young and self-esteem
How can those involved in the care of children with hearing loss identify those at risk of low self-esteem? This study provides some guidance. Overall differences from hearing peers in terms of communication skills, physical appearance and social maturity place...
